Extradural hemorrhagic spinal cavernous angioma in a paucisymptomatic child: A rare case with review of the current literature

Abstract

Background: Cavernous angiomas, also referred to as cavernous hemangiomas or cavernomas (CMs), are vascular malformative benign neoplasms that may develop in any part of the central nervous system. Spinal CMs are uncommon (overall incidence rate of 0.04-0.05%). Pure epidural CMs account for 1-2% of all spinal CMs and 4% of all spinal epidural tumors. Diagnosis is extremely rare in the pediatric age. To the best of our knowledge, only 10 cases have been described so far. The treatment of choice is microsurgical resection.

Case description: We describe here the rare case of a cervicothoracic hemorrhagic spinal epidural cavernoma in a paucisymptomatic, 8-year-old female Bangladeshi child. C7-T2 laminectomy with excision of a scarcely defined, capsulated dark red lesion was performed with good recovery.

Conclusion: Spinal epidural cavernomas are rare. Childhood presentation is even rarer. The reason could be found in a greater "compliance" and to a rarer occurrence of acute bleeding in children, thus resulting in a delayed diagnosis. Surgical excision is the gold standard of treatment.

Keywords: Pediatric spinal cavernous angioma; Pediatric spinal cavernous hemangioma; Pediatric spinal epidural cavernoma.