Neurosurgeons of the Saint Nicholas Hospital of the First Medical Association of Lviv removed a fatty tumor in the spinal cord of a 15-year-old girl. Because of it, the child’s back hurt, she had weakness in her legs and urinary incontinence.
Rosa, a girl from Chernivtsi. As a child, the child suffered from chronic cystitis and was often in hospitals. Two years ago, during an ultrasound scan, specialists noticed that the girl was not passing out all of her urine – there were remnants. And a few months ago, Roza’s stomach became swollen and hurt badly. It turned out that her bladder was full – there was more than a liter of liquid in it. The child was hospitalized in Chernivtsi hospital.
During the examination, doctors discovered a congenital malformation – spinal lipoma. This is a benign formation from adipose tissue cells. It moves easily when touched and is usually painless. In children, spinal lipoma occurs quite rarely – only in 1 baby out of 7-8 thousand newborns. Rosa also had lipoma from birth. The formation grew with her. It was located in the lumbosacral region of the spine, grew to the spinal cord and caused its tension, due to which the child stopped feeling when he wanted to go to the toilet. Urinary incontinence, severe back pain and weakness in the legs appeared.
With a diagnosis of spinal lipoma, Rosa was taken to Lviv, to St. Nicholas Hospital. As the girl’s condition worsened, the neurosurgeons decided to operate immediately. During the intervention, doctors removed fatty tissue that caused tension on the spinal cord and pressed important nerve elements.
The doctors worked brilliantly, and the result was immediate. The very next day after the operation, the girl began to feel the need to urinate again.
Rosa is feeling well now. The pain disappeared, and the legs became stronger. Now the girl will come to the doctors only once a year – for a control MRI and examination.
Doctors remind that the first manifestations of spinal lipoma in children are small subcutaneous swellings in the lumbosacral region, spots on the back, additional hair along the spine. This ailment often leads to curvature of the spine, causes pain and weakness in the limbs. A benign fatty tumor can be detected with the help of MRI.