Microsurgical Management of a Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Filum Terminale: A Surgical Technique

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are benign tumors of the autonomic nervous system that rarely occur in the spinal canal. The gold standard treatment is gross total resection while preserving the patient’s neurologic functioning as complete surgical resection is curative. The surgical management of NETs could pose a challenge given their friable consistency, hypervascular nature, and proclivity to adhere to the cauda equina nerve roots. We present a case of a 62-year-old female with an incidental primary NET arising from the filum terminale internum, review the literature, and describe the surgical technique including the benefits of using an intraoperative ultrasound and some of the pitfalls of relying “blindly” on neuromonitoring. Early identification and disconnection of the tumor’s vascular pedicle, which usually runs through the cranial filum, devascularizes the tumor, prevents systemic complications from catecholamine release, and facilitates circumferential dissection off the en passage cauda equina nerve roots. Our patient remains neurologically intact and asymptomatic two years postoperatively and neuroimaging confirmed complete resection.