Ann Rehabil Med.  2014 Apr;38(2):273-276.

Inexplicable Abdominal Pain due to Thoracic Spinal Cord Tumor

• Park JE
• Chung ME
• Song DH
• Choi HS

Abstract

Chronic, refractory abdominal pain without a metabolic or structural gastroenterological etiology can be challenging for diagnosis and management. Even though it is rare, it has been reported that such a recurrent abdominal pain associated with radicular pattern can be derived from structural neurologic lesion like spinal cord tumor. We experienced an unusual case of chronic recurrent abdominal pain that lasted for two years without definite neurologic deficits in a patient, who has been harboring thoracic spinal cord tumor. During an extensive gastroenterological workup for the abdominal pain, the spinal cord tumor had been found and was resected through surgery. Since then, the inexplicable pain sustained over a long period of time eventually resolved. This case highlights the importance of taking into consideration the possibility of spinal cord tumor in differential diagnosis when a patient complains of chronic and recurrent abdominal pain without other medical abnormalities.

Keyword

Abdominal pain; Spinal cord tumor

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain*
Diagnosis
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Neurologic Manifestations
Spinal Cord Neoplasms*

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Initial thoracolumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). (A) Axial T2-weighted MRI demonstrating about 1×4.5-cm size, well defined cystic mass of T5-7 intradural extramedullary level. Note extensive compression of thoracic spinal cord. (B) Sagittal T2-weighted MRI demonstrating large intradural extramedullary mass at T6 level, occupying most of (the) spinal canal but more involving in (the) left side.

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  Fig. 2 Follow-up thoracolumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after tumor resection. (A) Axial T2- and (B) sagittal T2-weighted MRIs demonstrating removal of spinal cord mass at T6 level.

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