title: A rare intramedullary spinal cord metastasis from uterine leiomyosarcoma.
abstract: Leiomyosarcoma is a rare smooth-muscle-derived malignancy with a significant malignant potential. Systemic metastases are a common late complication of leiomyosarcoma typically to lungs, liver, brain and bones. We report a 44-year-old woman with a prior history of uterine leiomyosarcoma who presented to us with a cervicothoracic intramedullary lesion and recent onset of neurological deficits. She underwent surgery with histological confirmation of a diagnosis of metastatic leiomyosarcoma, which was followed by adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy. To our knowledge there is no prior report of intramedullary spinal cord metastases (ISCM) from a leiomyosarcoma in the English literature. We report the present patient in view of the rarity of ISCM and its clinical significance. Even though ISCM are unusual, they should be suspected in any patient with primary malignancy irrespective of the histology. The overall prognosis remains grim irrespective of the treatment modality chosen and recognition of the same is important in preoperative counseling and overall treatment approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, 1725 West Harrison Street, Suite 855, RUSH University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Lee A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Manish K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kasliwal
authors.forename: Sukriti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nag
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: O'Toole
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Intramedullary tumor; Leiomyosarcoma; Metastasis; Spinal cord tumor