FAMILIAL NEURILEMOMA OF THE SPINAL-CORD IN A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

Neurilemoma of the spinal cord occurred in a mother and daughter. Case 1 was a 75-year-old woman with gait disturbance. Examination revealed weakness of the lower extremities, and magnetic resonance (MR) imagin g showed an intradural extramedullary tumor at T12. After laminectomy, the histologic diagnosis was mixed Antoni type A and B neurilemoma. C ase 2 was a 48-year-old woman (daughter of case 1). She presented with cervical pain and numbness of both hands. Examination revealed weaken ed intrinsic muscles of the right hand and paresthesia of the right up per arm. MR imaging showed a giant hourglass-shaped extradural tumor a t C2 and C3. The histologic diagnosis was Antoni type A neurilemoma. O nly six families with neurilemoma have been reported, including our pa tients. Gene analysis of such patients may clarify the etiology of neu rilemoma.