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Lipomyelomeningocele with Intraspinal Cartilaginous Choristoma: A Rare Case of Heterotopic Mesenchymal Differentiation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Lipomyelomeningocele (LMMC) is a closed neural tube defect in which neural elements are incorporated into a spinal lipoma. This congenital condition may present at birth as a lumbosacral subcutaneous mass or manifest neurologic symptoms later in life. A choristoma is a tumor-like mass of normal tissue in an abnormal location, most commonly found in the head and neck, and it is exceedingly rare within the spinal canal. We report an 11-month-old female infant with a congenital lumbosacral swelling whose MRI revealed a tethered cord and LMMC with spina bifida at the S2–S3 level. Surgical detethering was performed, and histopathology confirmed LMMC. In addition, a heterotopic cartilaginous choristoma was identified in the excised tissue, an unusual finding in spinal dysraphism. This case highlights a unique example of heterotopic mesenchymal differentiation in spinal dysraphism and adds to the limited literature on intraspinal choristomas.

Source: Indian Journal of Neurosurgery

DOI: 10.1055/s-0046-1815913

Authors: Suneel Rachagiri, Keerthanah Thiagarajan, Janjala Narahari

Institution: All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalagiri

Language: English

Topic: Spinal Dysraphism and Malformations

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W7127339165