Spinal Teratoma in an Adult Female Patient: A Case Report

Spinal teratomas are rare neoplasms derived from at least two of the three embryonic germ layers, representing rare spinal tumors outside the sacrococcygeal region.Adult intramedullary cases are exceptionally uncommon and often present with nonspecific symptoms, making diagnosis challenging.A 32-year-old female presented with low back pain radiating to both legs, lower limb numbness, and progressive left leg weakness with gait disturbance.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a wellencapsulated intramedullary lesion at the conus medullaris (T11-L1) with predominantly fat-equivalent signal intensity, hyperintense on both T1-and T2-weighted images, cystic components, and calcification, suggestive of teratoma.The patient underwent laminectomy and subtotal microsurgical resection.Histopathology confirmed a mature teratoma.Adult intramedullary spinal teratomas are rare lesions that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of conus medullaris tumors.MRI is essential for preoperative evaluation, while histopathology establishes the diagnosis.Radical excision is the treatment of choice, although subtotal resection may be warranted in functionally critical regions.The patient was followed for 12 months: gait improved after surgery, a much milder lower spastic paraparesis persisted, and the residual tumor was unchanged on MRI.