A ventral midline primary schwannoma of the cervical spinal cord: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Intradural schwannomas can occur at any level of the spine. According to the literature, approximately 8% of intradural schwannomas occur in the atlantoaxial spine, and these tumors are usually located in the posterolateral or lateral spinal cord. In contrast, tumors in the ventral midline of the spinal cord are relatively rare. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 47-year-old female presented with progressively worsening neck pain and paresthesias in both upper and lower limbs for the past 5 years. DIAGNOSIS: Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging and histopathological findings, she was diagnosed with ventral midline primary schwannoma of the cervical spinal cord. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with surgical resection. OUTCOMES: Follow-up visit at 2 years after the surgery showed that the patient is neurologically intact and free of disease. CONLUSION: In summary, for the tumors in the ventral midline of the atlantoaxial spinal cord, the preferred treatment is complete surgical resection by the posterior approach compared to the anterior approach, which often improves clinical symptoms or achieves a healing effect.