Localized cervical pruritus as the presenting symptom of a spinal cord tumor.

Intramedullary spinal cord tumors are rare in children. Presentation is usually with localized pain or motor deficits, and diagnosis can be delayed for months or years from the onset of symptoms. We present an unusual case of a 6-year-old girl who had an intramedullary cervical spinal cord astrocytoma. Her presenting symptom was right-sided cervical pruritus, which progressed to pain over the course of several months. Pruritus as a symptom of spinal cord pathology is discussed.