Discover the intriguing intersection of NF2-related schwannomatosis and anaplastic meningioma, shedding light on rare neurological conditions and advancing our understanding of neuronavigation.
– by Klaus
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An unusual finding of an anaplastic meningioma in NF2-related schwannomatosis.
Adelhoefer et al., Childs Nerv Syst 2024
<!– DOI: 10.1007/s00381-024-06350-7 //–>
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-024-06350-7
Ho, ho, ho! Gather around, my little elves, for a tale not of the North Pole, but of an extraordinary medical journey, as rare and unique as a snowflake in July. This story unfolds with a young lad, merely 12 years old, much like the children eagerly awaiting their presents under the Christmas tree. Yet, this boy’s story is not filled with toys and reindeer, but with a challenge most daunting – a diagnosis of NF2-related schwannomatosis, a condition as rare as a quiet workshop on Christmas Eve.
Our brave young hero found himself not sledding down snowy hills, but navigating a world of abdominal pain, mysterious episodes of emesis, and a gait as unsteady as a reindeer on ice. His journey was marked by battles with right upper and lower extremity weakness, and facial weakness, making his expressions as difficult to read as a faded wish list left by the fireplace. Despite these challenges, he carried on, aided by bilateral hearing aids, his own version of magical elfin tools, to combat his sensorineural hearing loss.
As if guided by the star of Bethlehem, MR imaging illuminated the path ahead, revealing a sizable left frontoparietal, dural-based meningioma, a lump of coal in his stocking, exerting its naughty effects on his brain. This was not the only challenge our hero faced; multiple additional CNS lesions were discovered, including a lesion at the level of T5, threatening to compress his spinal cord like a tight squeeze down a chimney.
With the courage of Rudolph leading the sleigh, our young friend underwent a frontotemporoparietal craniotomy, a procedure as precise as elves crafting toys, utilizing neuronavigation and transdural ultrasonography to ensure the mass was removed as neatly as presents wrapped and placed under the tree. Yet, the histopathology revealed an anaplastic meningioma, WHO grade 3, a finding as rare as a blizzard in summer, characterized by brisk mitotic activity and a high Ki-67 proliferation rate, signaling a challenge as tough as delivering all the world’s presents in one night.
In the spirit of Christmas, let us reflect on this tale of resilience and rare medical marvels. Just as Santa makes his journey around the globe, so too does the medical community continue to explore, discover, and treat the rarest of conditions. And to our young hero, and all those facing their own battles, may you find strength, hope, and a bit of holiday magic on your journey. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!