title: Coexisting intramedullary schwannoma with an ependymal cyst of the conus medullaris: A case report.
abstract: Synchronous spinal intramedullary ependymal cysts and intramedullary schwannomas are rare. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first report of a case of intramedullary schwannoma coexisting with an ependymal cyst. A 35-year-old male presented with lower back pain and weakness in the left leg. Magnetic resonance imaging identified an intramedullary cystic-solid lesion at the thoracolumbar junction of T11-L2; based on the clinical presentation and radiological features, a pre-operative diagnosis of ependymoma was formed. Subsequently, the patient underwent a T11-12 laminectomy via a posterior approach, with intraoperative monitoring of somatosensory and motor-evoked potentials, achieving a gross total resection of the tumor with a well-demarcated dissection plane. Post-operative histopathological examination demonstrated a schwannoma coexisting with the ependymal cyst, and the neurological status of the patient markedly improved compared with the pre-operatively observed neurological deficit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chenlong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yulun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
keywords: conus medullaris; ependymal cyst; intramedullary; schwannoma