On April 9, information from Thu Duc General Hospital said that it had just successfully operated on patient B.V. T (62 years old, residing in Long Binh ward, Ho Chi Minh City) suffering from recurrent neurofibromatosis after many years. Previously, the patient subjectively thought that he only had a common back pain, so he did not go for an early examination.
According to information from the hospital, Mr. T. had back pain spreading down his buttocks and back of his right thigh for many months. Three days before being admitted to the hospital, the pain increased rapidly, causing the patient to be unable to walk, forcing him to be admitted to the emergency room.
On March 22, the patient was admitted to Thu Duc General Hospital. Through medical history exploitation, doctors recorded that the patient had undergone surgery to remove a tumor in the spinal canal at another hospital 8 years ago. After admission, the doctor of the Department of Neurosurgery prescribed an MRI scan of the spine with magnetic barrier injections. The results revealed a tumor in the hard membrane at level L3–L4, about 2.5 x 2 x 2 cm in size. Faced with this situation, the team quickly consulted and decided to perform surgery early.
Doctor Nguyen Quang Viet - Department of Neurosurgery, Thu Duc General Hospital said that the old incision had a lot of adhesive scar tissue, making removal and access to the tumor complicated. Thanks to the support of microsurgery glasses, the team could clearly observe the structure in the spinal cord, safely remove the tumor from the nerve root and preserve nerve function.
Because the tumor was large and the spine had been intervened, doctors simultaneously placed screws to fix the spine to increase stability and support recovery. After surgery, the patient's pain was significantly reduced, and he could sit up and walk gently.
According to Dr. Viet, neurofibromatosis is a benign tumor originating from the nerve root envelope, usually progressing silently and only causing symptoms when the tumor is large enough to compress. Patients may experience symptoms such as prolonged back pain, numbness or leg weakness. Severe cases may present horse tail syndrome with weakness in both legs, numbness in the saddle area and sensory disturbances.
If not operated on in time, the tumor may continue to develop, compressing the spinal cord and nerve roots, leading to the risk of paralysis, motor disorders or permanent nerve damage.
Doctors recommend that people should not be subjective about prolonged back pain or leg numbness. Early examination at neurosurgery and spinal specialists helps detect dangerous diseases and treat them promptly, avoiding complications that affect mobility and quality of life.
