ASTROCYTOMA OF THE CERVICAL SPINAL CORD IN AN INFANT WITH TORTICOLLIS

The relevance of the problem is determined by the rather high prevalence of central nervous system (CNS) tumors in children and the need for oncologic vigilance. The presentation of the clinical case illustrates the need for careful analysis of the initial clinical signs, which are usually nonspecific and may resemble symptoms of other diseases. A case from practice describes the timely diagnosis of pilocytic astrocytoma in a child of the first year of life with torticollis as the debut of the disease. The diagnosis was made on the basis of a thorough clinical, neurological, and immunohistochemical examination and the use of neuroimaging techniques with the goal of further surgical, medical, and radiation treatment. The aim of the work. Description of a clinical case of astrocytoma of the cervical spinal cord, which manifested itself as torticollis in a child in the first year of life. Material and methods of the research. Clinical, biochemical, immunohistochemical, and imaging examination of a child of toddler age. Results of the research. A child with manifestations of torticollis at the age of eleven months was studied. Variants of congenital and acquired torticollis and inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system were excluded. According to clinical, neurological, and neuroimaging examinations, the diagnosis was made: benign intramedullary neoplasm of the spinal cord, pilocytic astrocytoma C5-Th2. Surgical intervention was performed with partial removal of the tumor with histochemical examination, followed by restorative therapy and observation in the distant postoperative period. Conclusions. Sudden appearance of symptoms of torticollis in a child in the first year of life may indicate the presence of a CM tumor. Early diagnosis allows to provide the child with highly specialized care, perform surgical intervention, and contribute to the improvement of the general condition and quality of life.