Primary atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor of the spine in an infant.

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor of the spine is a rare pediatric neoplasm with poor prognosis. We report a case of an atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor of the cervical spine in a 2-months-old infant. The patient presented with rapidly progressing tetraparesis and respiratory failure. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal cord revealed an intradural, extramedullary mass occupying the spinal canal on the right at the level of C1-C5. Tumor cells were immunohistochemically positive for epithelial membrane antigen, vimentin, cytokeratins, S-100 protein, and CD57/Leu-7 antigen. Despite chemotherapy, the infant presented with progressive neurological deterioration and died 6 months after initial diagnosis. We review the literature on spinal malignant rhabdoid tumor and discuss the pathology, treatment, and outcome of these rare neoplasms.