Intramedullary schwannoma at the thoracic level in a geriatric patient: a case report

Abstract

Intramedullary schwannoma, a disease that primarily occurs in middle-aged individuals, is a very rare tumor that occurs inside the spinal cord, constituting only 0.3% of spinal cord tumors. These tumors have most often been reported to involve a single lesion in the spinal cord. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination and histopathological report can confirm the diagnosis of intramedullary schwannoma. We describe a case of intramedullary schwannoma in a 71-year-old female patient. The tumor was evaluated using MRI and through a pathophysiological assessment. The lesion showed diffuse bulbous thickening with an ill-defined central signal change of the spinal cord from C6 to T6 on T2-weighted MRI. During surgery, a reddish and adhesive mass was removed. After the operation, the patient's leg weakness improved. Despite the rarity of the disease, we should consider intramedullary schwannoma as a possible tumor in the differential diagnosis of intramedullary lesions in elderly patients, for which surgical treatment should be considered.