Dorsal hemangioblastoma with holocord syringomyelia: case report

Abstract

Introduction: Intramedullary hemangioblastomas are usually accompanied by syringomyelia. However, a holocord syringomyelia is rare. The most common cause of syringomyelia continues to be Chiari disease, and only 10 cases of hemangioblastomas with holocord syringomyelia reported so far. Case report: We present a case of a 35-year-old patient with a two-month history of cervicobrachialgia at the C7-C8 root level, previously preceded by pain at the D1-D2 level. Cervico-dorso-lumbar MRI revealed a medullar tumor with hyper-uptake mural nodule at the conus medullaris level accompanied by an extensive syringomyelic cavity from C5 to L1 compatible with medullary hemangioblastoma. The patient underwent surgery for tumor resection with subsequent resolution of her painful symptoms. Conclusion: It is important to note that the surgery is aimed at treating the origin of this syringomyelia and not the syringomyelia itself. Although the majority of patients with holocord syringomyelia have Chiari as its cause, the possibility of focal spinal intramedullary tumors as being responsible for syringomyelia should not be forgotten.