Diffuse spinal cord injury; surgery or palliative treatment?: a case report

Authors

  • Uriel Tagle-Vega Universidad Andina del Cusco, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela Profesional de Medicina Humana. Cusco, Perú. Sociedad Peruana de Estudiantes de Neurocirugía y Neurociencia, Comité de Investigación. Cusco, Perú. Estudiante de medicina. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2822-3922
  • Cristian Eugenio Salazar-Campos Complejo Hospitalario Luis Nicasio Sáenz de la Policía Nacional del Perú, Servicio de Neurocirugía. Lima, Perú. Sociedad Peruana de Estudiantes de Neurocirugía y Neurociencia, Comité de Investigación. Cusco, Perú. Médico residente de neurocirugía. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6833-884X
  • Joham Choque-Velasquez Universidad Andina del Cusco, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela Profesional de Medicina Humana. Cusco, Perú. Hospital Regional del Cusco, Unidad de Neurocirugía. Cusco, Perú. Sociedad Peruana de Estudiantes de Neurocirugía y Neurociencia, Comité de Investigación. Cusco, Perú. Médico neurocirujano. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5220-1216

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24265/horizmed.2022.v22n4.09

Keywords:

Astrocytoma, Glioma, Syringomyelia

Abstract

Diffuse spinal cord injuries are rare and pose a diagnostic challenge. Low-grade gliomas are the most prevalent type, with primary astrocytomas being the most frequent subtype. We present the case of a 36-year-old man with a 13-year history of squeezing neck pain, which progressed with right hemiparesis and later with severe paraparesis and loss of sphincter control. A whole spine MRI scan showed diffuse neoproliferative lesions that spread throughout all the spinal cord segments. An open biopsy of the lesion in the T1-T2 segment was performed. The pathology report stated low-grade glioma. Treatment is controversial, so surgery was ruled out due to high morbidity. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were chosen because they play an important role in controlling the disease.

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Published

2022-12-07

How to Cite

1.
Tagle-Vega U, Salazar-Campos CE, Choque-Velasquez J. Diffuse spinal cord injury; surgery or palliative treatment?: a case report. Horiz Med [Internet]. 2022Dec.7 [cited 2025May2];22(4):e1730. Available from: https://www.horizontemedico.usmp.edu.pe/index.php/horizontemed/article/view/1730

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 4 (2022): October - December

Section

Case report

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