J Korean Soc Ther Radiol.  1996 Mar;14(1):61-68.

Sphenoid Sinus Carcinoma with Intramedullary Spinal Cord Metastasis and Syringomyelia: Report of A Case

• Kim YS
• Oh YK

Abstract

PURPOSE: Primary sphenoid carcinoma is rare. It accounts for 0.3% of all primary paranasal sinus malignancies. Because of the rarity of sphenoid carcinoma, large series of patients with outcome and survival statistics are currently unavailable. So we followed up the 1 case of sphenoid sinus carcinoma treated in our hospital and reported the course of the disease.
METHODS
AND MATERIALS : In a review of case reports and small series of patients, 2-year survival was 7%. Our case is alive at 29 months after diagnosis of sphenoid sinus carcinoma. Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) is an unusual complication of cancer. In our case rapidly progressive paraparesis and urinary retention developed at 25 months after diagnosis of sphenoid sinus carcinoma. MRI of the thoracic spines showed the intramedullary spinal cord tumor mass at T3 and T4 level with accompanying syringomyelia.Here we report a case of ISCM associated with syringomyelia which has developed after primary sphenoid sinus carcinoma with a review of literature about the clinical behavior and treatment of this lesion.

Keyword

Sphenoid sinus carcinoma; Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis; Syringomyelia

MeSH Terms

Diagnosis
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Neoplasm Metastasis*
Paraparesis
Sphenoid Sinus*
Spinal Cord Neoplasms
Spinal Cord*
Spine
Syringomyelia*
Urinary Retention