Mature Teratoma of the Filum Terminale in the Elderly, Incidentally Diagnosed after an Unmyelinated Lumbar Spine Trauma

Abstract

Introduction: Spinal teratoma is an extremely rare entity as it represents 0.10-0.60% of all spinal tumors. It is mainly diagnosed during the first two decades of life and can be associated with spinal dysraphism. Aim: To present a case of an asymptomatic mature teratoma of filum terminale, incidentally diagnosed in an elderly patient admitted to the Neurosurgery Department for multiple traumas after falling from 3 meters height. Case description: A 76 year-old patient was admitted in the 2nd Neurosurgery Department, “Prof. Dr. N. Oblu” Emergency Clinical Hospital, Iaşi with multiple traumas after falling from 3 meters height. The patient presented bilateral paresthesia of lower limbs and urinary incontinence. Radiography of the dorsal-lumbar spine column in emergency highlighted a dorsal - lumbar fracture (D12-L1) with medullar compression. MRI examination revealed a neoformation of filum terminale that filled almost the entire spinal canal, which had a composite, fatty and fluid structure, corresponding to L2-L4 and compressing the medullary cone. The neurosurgical decision was the excision of the entire neoformation. The histopathological examination of excised pieces revealed the presence of adipose tissue mixed together with striated and smooth muscle fibers, small and large cysts lined by various epithelia ranging from malpighian keratinized multilayered to simple ciliated columnar epithelium. No immature or malignant cells were identified and therefore the diagnosis was mature teratoma of filum terminale. The evolution of the patient was favorable with the remission of the neurological deficit. Conclusions: Our patient is one of the oldest patients diagnosed up to date with a mature teratoma of filum terminale. Moreover, the location of neoformation at the lumbar (L2-L4) level is extremely rare. This case also highlights the fact that this mature teratoma was discovered by chance, when the patient came to the Neurosurgery Department for a spinal injury due to a falling from a tree.