Extradural Giant Thoracic Schwannoma on a Pediatric Patient; A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction Giant extradural thoracic schwannomas are very rare tumors in the pediatric age group and often occur together with neurofibromatosis. Giant schwannomas span across more than 2 vertebral segments and have an extraspinal extension of over 2.5 cm. In this case, we report on a 5-year-old boy with a purely extradural giant schwannoma without accompanying neurofibromatosis. Clinical Presentation 5 year-old male patient; applied to the orthopedics and traumatology outpatient clinic with complaints of difficulty in walking following waist and left leg pain after falling from a chair. Contrast-enhanced spinal MRI and cranial MRI was planned, and as a result of the MRI; the patient was diagnosed with an extradural spinal lesion measuring 22x18x35 mm that pushed the spinal cord to the right at the T10-12 level and extended into the left foramen at the T11-12 level. The patient was operated. The tumor was removed completely by performing bilateral laminoplasty at the T10-11-12 levels. Histopathology result reported Schwannoma. Conclusion Giant schwannomas are slow-growing tumors that rarely occur in childhood. In these patients, spinal traumas can lead to serious neurological deficits. Early diagnosis and successful surgery can prevent permanent neurological damage.