Discussion
PMA is a relatively rare tumor, it occurs in pediatric groups of
patients commonly in the brain [1]. PMA originating in spinal cord
is very rare, with over all about 10 reported cases, of which 5 cases
involving the thoracic region [Table 1] , only one young adult case
was reported with an isolated lesion in the thoracic spine without any
evidence of other primary systemic or CNS neoplasm [4,5,6,7,8].
PMA has showed more aggressive behaviour and higher recurrence rate than
PA[3]. Radical surgical resection of the tumor showed more favorable
survival outcomes within the pediatric population of patients.
Restricted surgical resection in the case of spinal PMA was performed in
most of reported cases [9].
We report, which what appears to be the second case, of isolated PMA
located in the thoracic spine level. MRI findings in our case compare to
the only one thoracic adult case reported, MRI has shown similar
radiological features in both cases of the thoracic intramedullary PMA.
Our lesion on MRI contrast enhanced T2 weighted images showed
hyperintense, nonhomogeneous, spindle shape, intramedullary lesion. The
T1 weighted images showed hypointense lesion [figure 3]. [5].