Primary intraspinal primitive neuroectodermal tumor treated with autologous stem cell transplantation: case report and review of the literature.

The authors describe the case of a 19-year-old female patient with a primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) of the thoraco-lumbar spinal cord, who presented with acute urinary retention and back pain for 2 months. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intradural extramedullary tumor, 6.5 cm long, in the region of the conus medullaris. Histological examination disclosed a small round cell tumor with immunohistochemical characteristics of a peripheral PNET. Metastatic workup showed no evidence of an intracranial tumor or metastases outside the neuroaxis. The patient received multidisciplinary treatment, including surgical excision, irradiation of the entire cranio-spinal axis, and high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue. Presently, 24 months after diagnosis, the patient remains in complete remission.