Pediatric Neurosurgery

Original Paper

Intraspinal Dermoid and Epidermoid Tumors: Report of 18 Cases and Reappraisal of the Literature

van Aalst J.a · Hoekstra F.a · Beuls E.A.M.a, e · Cornips E.M.J.a · Weber J.W.b · Sival D.A.d · Creytens D.H.K.V.c · Vles J.S.H.b

Author affiliations

Departments of aNeurosurgery, bChild Neurology and cPathology, University Medical Center Maastricht, Maastricht, and dDepartment of Child Neurology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; eDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Hasselt, Diepenbeek, Belgium

Keywords: DermoidEpidermoid cystPathologySpina bifidaSpinal cord tumorTethered cord

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Pediatr Neurosurg 2009;45:281–290
https://doi.org/10.1159/000235602

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Article / Publication Details

First-Page Preview
Abstract of Original Paper

Received: November 26, 2008
Accepted: May 18, 2009
Published online: August 19, 2009
Issue release date: September 2009

Number of Print Pages: 10
Number of Figures: 5
Number of Tables: 5

ISSN: 1016-2291 (Print)
eISSN: 1423-0305 (Online)

For additional information: https://www.karger.com/PNE

Abstract

Intraspinal dermoid and epidermoid tumors are two histopathological subtypes of cutaneous inclusion tumors of the spine. This classification is based on obsolete embryological knowledge. In fact, according to current embryology, both tumor types consist of ectodermal derivatives. Therefore, we hypothesized that dermoid and epidermoid tumors do not differ in clinical practice. To explore this hypothesis, we studied the clinical, radiological and intraoperative findings of 18 patients, and related these findings to the histopathological characteristics of the tumor. No differences were found between dermoid and epidermoid tumors regarding clinical presentation, radiological examination and outcome, while intraoperative diagnosis by the surgeon correlated with the histopathological diagnosis in only 8 of 18 cases. Therefore, the histopathological difference between intraspinal dermoid and epidermoid tumors is not important in clinical practice and should be avoided. A new nomenclature is proposed in which both tumor types are referred to as ‘spinal cutaneous inclusion tumors’.

© 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel



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Article / Publication Details

First-Page Preview
Abstract of Original Paper

Received: November 26, 2008
Accepted: May 18, 2009
Published online: August 19, 2009
Issue release date: September 2009

Number of Print Pages: 10
Number of Figures: 5
Number of Tables: 5

ISSN: 1016-2291 (Print)
eISSN: 1423-0305 (Online)

For additional information: https://www.karger.com/PNE

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