Background:
The authors report the case of a 53-year-old woman suffering from thoracic myelopathy caused by intraspinal dissemination of hemangiopericytoma. In literature, hemangiopericytoma is commonly found as an intracranial lesion, and often hematogenously metastasizes to the bone or liver; however, intradural spinal dissemination is extremely rare.
Case description:
The patient presented with gait disturbance due to thoracic myelopathy 6 years after surgical treatment for intracranial hemangiopericytoma. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated intradural disseminated lesions compressing the spinal cord. Although the patient underwent resection of the intradural spinal tumor, the lesion was tightly adherent to the dorsal surface of the spinal cord. Therefore, it resulted in subtotal removal. Immediately after the surgery, symptoms related to the thoracic myelopathy resolved. The patient was free from disease progression for 14 months after whole spine radiotherapy.
Conclusion:
Recognition of this type of progression is important in the clinical management of intracranial hemangiopericytoma because intradural spinal dissemination dramatically degrades neurological functions.