What Can an Apparent Idiopathic Scoliosis Hide?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25759/spmfr.442Keywords:
Scoliosis, Spinal Cord NeoplasmsAbstract
Scoliosis represents a frequent cause for consultation in paediatric patients. Although it can occur secondary to several pathologies, the vast majority of cases are idiopathic. Intramedullary tumors, due to their slow growth and infiltrative behaviour, may present only with scoliosis, without other alterations in the neurological examination. Thus, especially in the early stages, these scoliosis can behave as idiopathic and the distinction between the two entities is difficult. However, a correct identification of the cause of scoliosis is essential in order to guide the treatment of the underlying pathology and stabilize the progression or promote the regression of the scoliosis. In this context, there are several atypical characteristics for scoliosis (red flags) that may alert to the presence of a secondary cause and that should prompt further investigation. This paper presents two clinical cases of adolescents, followed in a specialized PRM consultation (spine static changes), with scoliosis behaving as idiopathic in which, after the onset of neurological symptoms, the presence of an intramedullary neoplasm (pilocytic astrocytoma) was identified. The aim of this paper is to describe this type of lesions, alerting to the main differentiating characteristics of scoliosis secondary to spinal cord tumors in order to allow early identification and treatment.
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