INTRAMEDULLARY NEURILEMMOMA (NEURINOMA) OF THE THORACIC CORD: A CASE REPORT

A case is presented of an intramedullary neurilcmmoma (neurinoma) of the upper thoracic spinal cord in a 35 year old female. The duration of symptoms and signs from onset to surgery was approximately 12 years. During this period there was a long interval in remission of symptoms which suggested a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. The patient's complaints, however, of severe pain and the persistent elevation in spinal fluid protein favored a space-taking lesion of the cord. The rarity of this lesion is stressed. The 4 cases reported by others are described and theories by others as to etiology of the tumor are presented.