Giant cauda equina schwannoma - A case report

Study Design. Case Report. Objectives. To present a rare case of a giant schwannoma of the cauda equin a. Summary of Background Data. Giant spinal schwannoma of the cauda equina, wh ich involves many nerve roots, is rare and there is usually no ossification in the schwannoma. It is unknown whether or not complete excision is prefe rable if the tumour is located in the lumbar lesion. Methods. A 57-year-old woman had a 10-year history of low back pain. Scallo ping of the posterior surface of the vertebral bodies from L3 to the sacrum was found. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed a giant cauda equina tumor with multiple cysts. Central ossification revealed by computed tomography and an unusual myelogram made the preoperative diagnosis difficult. Results. The patient underwent incomplete removal of the tumor, decompressi on of cysts, and spinal reconstruction. The tumor was proved to be a schwan noma. The postoperative course was uneventful and she has been almost free from low back pain for 3 years and 4 months. Conclusions. Giant schwannoma in the lumbar spine region is usually excised incompletely, because complete removal had the risk of sacrificing many ne rve roots. In spite of the incomplete removal of the tumor, the risk of rec urrence is low.