title: Cervical symmetric dumbbell ganglioneuromas causing severe paresis.
abstract: We report an extremely rare case with bilateral and symmetric dumbbell ganglioneuromas of the cervical spine in an elderly patient. A 72-year-old man came by ambulance to our hospital due to progressive incomplete paraplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated bilateral symmetric dumbbell tumors at the C1/2 level. We performed total resection of the intracanalar tumor, aiming at complete decompression of the spinal cord, and partial and subtotal resection of foraminal outside portions. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen indicated the tumor cells to be spindle cells with the presence of ganglion cells and no cellular pleomorphism, suggesting a diagnosis of ganglioneuroma. Although the surgery was not curative, the postoperative course was uneventful and provided a satisfactory outcome. This is the fourth known case of cervical ganglioneuromas of the bilateral symmetric dumbbell type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hioki
authors.affiliation: Department of Reconstructive Surgery for Spine, Bone, and Joint, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kito
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fushimi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
keywords: Cervical spine; Dumbbell tumor; Ganglioneuroma; Symmetric