Cervical intramedullary teratoma: a case report and systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Here, we report a case of a 3-year-old female who presented to clinic with an enlarging mass in the posterior cervical midline. The mass was present since birth and demonstrated no cutaneous stigmata. Plain film, CT, and MRI of the cervical spine (C3–C5) revealed enlargement of the spinal canal, soft tissue calcification, spinal dysraphism, and an intramedullary, predominantly fatty, mass. The mass had associated calcifications and a highly proteinaceous cyst. Surgical resection of the spinal lesion was subsequently performed. Histopathological evaluation revealed a mature teratoma. Cervical spinal teratomas in the pediatric population are rare entities with few cases currently reported in the literature. We conducted a systematic review to outline the current evidence detailing cases of intramedullary spinal cord teratomas. Six articles were included for final review. All patients in the included articles underwent maximal surgical resection with one patient also receiving chemotherapy and radiation. With our report, we aim to add to the literature on cervical intramedullary spinal cord teratomas in the pediatric population.