A rare case of intramedullary spinal dermoid cyst in adult: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Intramedullary spine dermoid cysts are rare and benign tumors that occur mainly due to the defective closure of the neural tube during the development process. They are slow-growing tumor that manifest in the second and third decades of life. The prevalence of intramedullary dermoid cysts is only 1%. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We reported a 30 years old female with chief complain of weakness of the right leg in the last 6 months before admission. She complained about back pain and had history of scoliosis. In MRI we found intramedullary tumor at level T11-L1. We performed marginal excision and sent the sample for histopathological examination. The histopathological result was dermoid cyst tumor. DISCUSSION: During six months of post-operative period, no recurrence was detected, and a complete relief of symptoms is as expected. Early diagnosis is needed for proper handling and to achieve good outcomes. CONCLUSION: Dermoid cysts in adults without a history of trauma are a rare case. Surgical excision is the choice of treatment. However, long-term follow up is needed to monitor the sensory-motor function.