A rare case of intramedullary lipoma of brainstem to thoracic cord––What to do?

Abstract

A BSTRACT Introduction: Intramedullary lipomas are rare, representing 1% of spinal cord tumors. There are less than 25 case reports about cord lipoma extending into brain. Due to paucity of literature, etiology and management are not well established. Case report: A 14-month-old baby girl was brought with complaints of torticollis toward right side, left upper limb monoplegia, and swallowing difficulty for 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging brain and spine confirmed the diagnosis of cervicothoracic intramedullary lipoma extending till pontomedullary junction, invading subcutaneous fat. She underwent partial resection of lesion along with decompression. The recovery was good. Conclusion: Such lipoma needs extensive pre-, intra-, and postoperative planning. The goal should be decompression, rather than excision. Outcome is good with partial resection.