Hemangioblastoma Spine Tumor: Bridget’s Story

An avid soccer player, 10-year-old Bridget started to notice weakness in her legs while running. Over the course of a year, her coordination continued to decline. She began to trip often and eventually lost sensation in her right leg.

After an MRI revealed a large hemangioblastoma tumor on her spinal cord, Bridget and her family came to Johns Hopkins for care. There, a multidisciplinary team assembled to get Bridget back on the field, including:

• Interventional radiologists to identify the blood vessels supplying the tumor
• Neurosurgeons to remove the tumor
• Genetic counselors to assess the risk of Bridget’s siblings developing similar tumors
• Physical therapists to help Bridget recover after surgery

Meet Bridget's Team

Mari Louise Groves, M.D.

Expertise, Disease and Conditions: Brain Tumors, Chiari Malformations, Epilepsy Surgery, Hydrocephalus, Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors, Lipoma, Myelomeningocele, Neurological Surgery, Pediatric Spinal Deformity, Scoliosis, Skeletal Dysplasias, Spina Bifida, Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal Cord Tumors, Spinal Dysraphism

 

Julie Elizabeth Hoover-Fong, M.D., Ph.D.

Expertise, Disease and Conditions: Achondroplasia, Genetics, Skeletal Dysplasias

 

 

Learn more about our team of pediatric neurosurgeons.

Hemangioblastoma Treatment at Johns Hopkins

Our pediatric specialists are world renowned for their expertise in treating complex neurological conditions.

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Adult Neurology: 410-955-9441
Pediatric Neurology: 410-955-4259

Adult Neurosurgery: 410-955-6406
Pediatric Neurosurgery: 410-955-7337

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