Cervical dumbbell ganglioneuroma in an eighteen month old child. A case report.

Dumbbell neurogenic tumors are unusual in children. The authors report an extremely rare case of cervical intraspinal ganglioneuroma with a contiguous paravertebral component in an eighteen month old female patient. Both the intraspinal and the extraspinal parts of the dumbbell tumor were totally removed during the same surgical session. A laminotomy was performed rather than a laminectomy in order to avoid postoperative spinal column deformation. The authors emphasize the importance of an early diagnosis in preventing irreversible neurosurgical abnormalities and for achieving better surgical results.