Giant Thoracic Meningioma: Missed Diagnosis and Challenging Management in a Resource-Limited Setting

Intradural extramedullary spinal tumors are surgically treatable lesions, but delayed diagnosis, particularly in low-resource settings, can result in irreversible neurological deficits. We present a case of a 37-year-old woman with a five-year history of progressive paraplegia due to a thoracic T4-T5 intradural extramedullary tumor, whose diagnosis and management were significantly delayed due to system-level limitations. This case illustrates the severe consequences of missed or delayed diagnosis of surgically treatable spinal tumors in resource-limited settings. Early MRI interpretation by trained specialists, timely neurosurgical referral, and availability of surgical adjuncts such as dural sealants are essential to prevent avoidable morbidity.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2026-02-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.104315
Primary Topic
Meningioma and schwannoma management
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Giant Thoracic Meningioma: Missed Diagnosis and Challenging Management in a Resource-Limited Setting

Carlos Castillo-Rangel, Misa Funjika, Aaron Munkondya, Lukulula. E. Mwanza et al.
Cureus
Meningioma and schwannoma management
article

Giant Thoracic Meningioma: Missed Diagnosis and Challenging Management in a Resource-Limited Setting

Carlos Castillo-Rangel, Misa Funjika, Aaron Munkondya, Lukulula. E. Mwanza, Gervith Reyes Soto, Manuel De Jesus Encarnacion Ramirez, Mwaba Nambela, Kabongo Ngoy, Gerald Musa, Keith Simfukwe, Davies Chiwaya, Nicola Montemurro, Chifundo Daka, Justo Banda, Sandford Sumaili
article en

Abstract

Intradural extramedullary spinal tumors are surgically treatable lesions, but delayed diagnosis, particularly in low-resource settings, can result in irreversible neurological deficits. We present a case of a 37-year-old woman with a five-year history of progressive paraplegia due to a thoracic T4-T5 intradural extramedullary tumor, whose diagnosis and management were significantly delayed due to system-level limitations. This case illustrates the severe consequences of missed or delayed diagnosis of surgically treatable spinal tumors in resource-limited settings. Early MRI interpretation by trained specialists, timely neurosurgical referral, and availability of surgical adjuncts such as dural sealants are essential to prevent avoidable morbidity.

Cureus
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Openalex Percentile: Top 42%
Meningioma and schwannoma management
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