Malignant schwannoma (Neurofibrosarcoma) metastatic to spine: Surgical decompression and stabilization

Malignant schwannoma (neurofibrosarcoma, malignant neurilemoma, malignant nerve sheath tumor) is a rare neoplasm that may occur independently or arise in con-junction with von Recklinghausen’s disease (neurofibromatosis). Its rarity prevents exact determination of its incidence, and consequently, the accummulation of a sufficient number of cases to determine natural history, as well as to standardize treatment, is also difficult. Estimate of the occurrence of malignant schwannoma in patients with neurofibromatosis range from 13 to 29%. Yau ACMC, Chan RNW: Stress fracture of the fused lumbo-dorsal spine in ankylosing spondylitis. A report of three cases. J Bone Joint Surg 56B:681-687, 1974 radiation therapy, malignant schwannoma has a projected 5-year survival of only 40%.7 While the majority of metastases from malignant schwannoma occur in the lungs, we report the case of a patient with pulmonary metastases as well as T8 and T9 vertebral body metastases causing compression fracture and epidural spinal cord compression. Only two other cases of metastases to the spine from malignant schwannoma have been reported.