Subtle clinical signs of a spinal cord ependymoma at the cervicothoracic level in an adult: a case report.

A 33-year-old male presented to a chiropractic clinic complaining of chronic, recurrent low back pain. Subtle signs of muscle atrophy were noted in the left hand during the history taking. This muscle atrophy was reported as having a gradual onset spanning the past six months without any precipitating event. Cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal radiographs were deemed unremarkable. Due to the progressive nature of the neurological deficit, the patient was referred for a neurological consultation. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study was performed and revealed an expansive intramedullary lesion between C6 and T1 suggesting a differential diagnosis of spinal cord ependymoma or astrocytoma. The patient underwent surgical excision of the tumour. Pathological report confirmed a diagnosis of ependymoma. In the presence of subtle clinical signs, clinicians should keep a high index of suspicion for spinal cord tumours.