Intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations presenting with unexplained chest pain: case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations are very uncommon in pediatric age, with only 26 cases reported within the available literature to date. The diagnosis of such lesions is often difficult and delayed because of their rarity and bizarre clinical presentation. CASE REPORT: We report a case of intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformation in a girl, in which sudden onset chest pain was the only presenting symptom, followed by appearance of neurological deficits after 5 days. We review the available literature discussing clinical features and principles of management of these lesions in children.