A Case of Metastatic Spinal Ewing's Sarcoma Misdiagnosed as Brucellosis and Transverse Myelitis

Abstract

An 11-year-old girl was admitted with back pain for 2 months, inability to walk for 15 days, and enuresis and encopresis for 2 days. She had been hospitalized with the diagnosis of brucellosis in another hospital. At presentation, she had paraplegia, sphincter dysfunction, and bilateral sensory loss below the T6 level, and was initially diagnosed with transverse myelitis caused by brucellosis. On the third day of hospitalization, however, agglutination test for brucella was negative, but it was positive for Salmonella. Therefore, transverse myelitis was considered to be due to salmonellosis. Thoracic spine magnetic resonance imaging showed an extradural, paraspinal mass at the level of T6-T7. The mass was totally extracted, and histopathological examination revealed Ewing's sarcoma. During follow-up, no improvement in paraplegia was noted and an enlarged presacral decubital ulcer developed. Aside from supportive care, local radiotherapy was applied. Unfortunately, the patient died from probable infection 9 months after the diagnosis. We emphasize that metastatic spinal Ewing's sarcoma may mimic brucellosis and transverse myelitis in childhood.