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Congenital Dermoid Tumour On Spinal Cord. Fused Vertebrae From C4-C7 (MRI)

This is my neck. I was born with this and it was discovered when I was 41. There are fused vertebrae from C4-C7, malformed discs, deformed vertebrae, a bulging disc touching my spinal cord and the dermoid tumour on my spinal cord.

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  • Wow that's an incredible set of findings. Here's some thoughts:

    1. A C4-7 congenital block vertebrae also makes me think about Klippel-Feil syndrome.

    2. A known complication of spinal fusion surgeries is called "adjacent-level disc disease" where the fused portion acts as a single unit, which redistributes the stress onto the adjacent disc levels, causing new disc herniations eventually. On your image, it looks like C3-4 and C7-T1 have the most prominent disc bulges so I wonder if something similar is happening.

    3. Spinal dermoid that's not in the lumbosacral region (and associated with spina bifida) is incredibly rare. I don't think I've seen one myself.

    Thanks for posting!

    • Thank you.

      It was quite a surprise when all this was discovered. I've been called a medical curiosity, a functional quadriplegic, and, most regularly, a miracle. From the reactions I've had over the years, I don't think anyone has seen anything like it. A MRI tech said he'd never seen a tumour the shape of mine. I live a normal life but have certain signs I have to watch out for. If I become incontinent or paralysed, my neurosurgeon will try to remove the tumour which, I'm told, is likely to paralyse or kill me. It definitely gives an interesting perspective on life.

      I also have multiple other health issues. I'll try to find the MRI of my spine showing no disc at the base of the spine, a bulging disc deflecting the cauda equina, herniated discs, and degenerative disc disease. My most recent discovery is Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.