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.
Authors
- Carlos Castillo-Rangel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2956-5112)
- 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
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
- 0.00