Cauda Equina Paraganglioma: Case Report

Abstract

Cauda equina paragangliomas are benign neuroendocrine tumors. They are rare tumors, very few cases have been reported in the literature. We report the case of a 40-year-old patient with no particular history and who has had low back pain for 3 months secondary to bilateral L5 sciatica. . The physical and neurological examination is strictly normal. The MRI shows, next to L4-L5, an oval intradural lesion in T1 and T2 isosignal, enhancing evenly after injection of gadolinium. The patient is operated on via the posterior approach; laminectomy of L4 and L5, the resection is macroscopically complete. The postoperative course is simple with disappearance of lumbosciatalgia and urinary urgency. The control MRI performed 3 months postoperatively confirms complete excision. The anatomo-pathological examination concludes with a morphological and immuno-histochemical aspect of a benign paraganglioma. Complete surgical excision remains the ideal treatment to minimize the risk of recurrence.