Malignant spinal cord compression occurs in 2.5% - 5% cancer patients.
Early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention are critical for pain control and improvement of any neurological deficit. Treatment should be directed to the underlying disease together with appropriate symptom management. The case of a man with tetraparesis of 24 hours duration is presented. He had surgery five days earlier because of a testicular tumor and spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed spinal cord compression by a soft tissue mass between C7 and D2. After confirming the diagnosis of mixed germ cell tumor, stage IIIC, the patient began chemotherapy with progressive neurological improvement. Two years after diagnosis the patient presents a slight reduction of strength in the right hand and remains without any evidence of disease. This case illustrates the importance of early diagnosis of spinal cord compression and one of the main indications for the use of chemotherapy as the treatment for an oncologic emergency.
Written by:
Estevinho F, Sousa N, Rodrigues A, Carneiro E, Souto J, Begonha R, Maurício J. Are you the author?
Serviço de Oncologia Médica, Instituto Português de Oncologia, Porto, Portugal.
Reference: Acta Med Port. 2012 Nov-Dec;25(6):461-5.
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23534600
Article in Portuguese
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