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Spinal Cord Tumor in Child

Spinal cord tumors, also known as neoplasms, are rare in children. They present as abnormal growths of tissue inside the spinal column and can be either noncancerous (benign and harmless) or cancerous (malignant and potentially dangerous). Both types of spinal cord tumors can cause serious complications as they grow, increasing pressure on the spinal cord.

  1. Symptoms

    • According to George I. Jallo, M.D., a pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, symptoms of spinal cord tumors in children develop gradually and worsen as time goes on. Symptoms include chronic back pain, spinal deformity, partial paralysis, weakness, difficulty with bladder control and fever.

    Diagnostic Testing

    • Diagnosing spinal cord tumors includes a thorough physical examination and discussion of the child's medical history, in addition to X-rays of the spine to detect tumor-specific bone erosion or scoliosis, an MRI, blood and spinal fluid tests and a CT scan to look for metastases, or traveling cancer cells.

    Treatments

    • Immediate treatment of the spinal cord tumor is essential for a successful outcome. In general, most tumors are treated surgically to reduce the size of the mass and alleviate any pressure on the child's spinal cord.

    Considerations

    • In addition to surgery, additional treatments may be necessary, such as chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to destroy residual cancer cells and physical therapy to strengthen body functions that may have been impaired or lost before surgery.

    Recovery

    • According to Dr. Jallo, children tend to do well with tumor removal surgery depending on tumor size and location. Hospital stays average only a few days, with pain medication given until the incision has healed.

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