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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Asian J Neurosurg 2023; 18(02): 357-365
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1768579
Case Report

Cervical Trident-Shaped Neurofibroma: A Rare Variant

Inamul Haque
1   Department of Neurosurgery, GNRC Hospitals, Dispur, Assam, India
,
Navanil Barua
1   Department of Neurosurgery, GNRC Hospitals, Dispur, Assam, India
,
Nabajyoti Borah
1   Department of Neurosurgery, GNRC Hospitals, Dispur, Assam, India
,
Sneha Gang
2   Department of Research and Analytics, GNRC Hospitals, Dispur, Assam, India
,
Ananya Barman
2   Department of Research and Analytics, GNRC Hospitals, Dispur, Assam, India
,
Shabnam A. Ahmed
3   Department of Pathology, GNRC Hospitals, Dispur, Assam, India
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Abstract

Spinal nerve root tumors can arise throughout the spine and at multiple levels, likely representing plexiform neurofibromas that grow from the nerve root into the intraspinal space either intradurally or epidurally and exit through the neural foramen, producing a dumbbell-shaped appearance. Although many cases of dumbbell-shaped extramedullary neurofibromas in the cervical spine have been reported, to the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of trident-shaped extramedullary neurofibromas. A 26-year-old woman presented with swelling over the right side of her neck. Diagnostic workup included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the neck, which revealed an intradural, extramedullary tumor mass at the right C2–C6 level with an extraspinal extension. Spinal cord compression or canal compromise is the most reliable indication for surgery. The solitary cervical neurofibroma was treated surgically in a single stage through laminoplasty and excision of the intradural tumor along with that of the neck component. This was performed without any complications. A single-stage double approach was adopted in this case. After total excision, the shape of the tumor was found to be more like a trident than a dumbbell. Hence, here we would like to suggest a new nomenclature for this neurofibroma, the trident neurofibroma.

Keywords

spinal tumors - extramedullary - neurofibroma - dumbbell - laminoplasty


Publication History

Article published online:
07 June 2023

© 2023. Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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