An intramedullary “flame” recognized as being an intramedullary spinal cord metastasis  from esophageal cancer

Abstract

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases are rarely encountered in patients suffering from extra - central nervous system primary cancer, with only 2 described cases reported in the literature deriving from esophageal cancer. Intramedullary spinal cord metastases may occur at any level of the spinal cord but cervical location is the most frequent. We report the first case of intramedullary metastasis affecting the thoracic spinal cord from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a 35-year-old patient.