eMedicine Specialties > Neurosurgery > Neoplasm

Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors: Workup

Author: Alfred T Ogden, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center
Coauthor(s): Nicholas Wetjen, MD, Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellow, University of Utah, Primary Children's Hospital; Thomas L Francavilla, MD, Chief of Neurosurgery Section, Department of Surgery, Brookwood Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Apr 9, 2009

Workup

Laboratory Studies

No laboratory tests are specific or sensitive for tumors arising from the spinal cord.

Imaging Studies

• Plain radiographs of the spine cannot diagnose an intramedullary tumor but may be useful for surgical planning if the tumor is associated with a deformity.
• Myelography has now been surpassed by MRI and is used mainly when MRI is not available.
• Spinal angiography and embolization can be useful in cases of hemangioblastoma.
• MRI produces exquisite detail of the spinal cord.
  • Most tumors are isointense or slightly hypointense compared with the normal cord signal.
  • Tumors generally exhibit some enhancement with gadolinium, and this enhancement may be homogenous or irregular (Images 1, 2, 3).
  • Contrast-enhanced MRI is very sensitive for tumors and may disclose minute lesions.
• Determining whether an abnormal MRI definitively indicates the presence of a tumor can be problematic. MRI alone does not guarantee an accurate diagnosis in every case and the clinical history and neurologic examination help to avoid unnecessary surgery on multiple sclerosis plaques or vascular or inflammatory myelitis.
  • The spinal cord appears enlarged when a tumor is present, while inflammatory lesions result in a normal or minimal increase in cord size appearance.
  • In cases where a syrinx is noted (see Image 1), one must distinguish a primary syrinx from a tumor-associated syrinx. Therefore, a search for a Chiari malformation or abnormal contrast enhancement must be undertaken.
• Some tumors have a tendency to occur in multiple areas, and imaging the entire neuroaxis may be indicated (eg, hemangioblastoma).
• The differential diagnosis of a patient presenting only with back pain is legion and most commonly is the result of degenerative spine disease. The contrast-enhanced MRI characteristics of the spinal cord have greatly simplified the diagnosis of intrinsic spinal cord tumors. However, diagnosis still can be problematic, as follows:
  • Syrinx (see Image 1) - Multiple causes, including tumor
  • Multiple sclerosis - May show multiple lesions of neuraxis
  • Transverse myelitis
  • Cord infarction
  • Abscess
  • Tuberculosis
  • Hematoma
  • Herniated disk
  • Spondylosis
  • Cord contusion
  • Extradural neoplasm
  • Intradural extramedullary neoplasm
  • Arteriovenous malformation and fistulae
  • Arachnoid cyst
  • Sarcoidosis (see Image 3 and Image 4) and other granulomatous diseases
  • Amyloid angiopathy

Other Tests

Electrophysiologic testing is generally not useful in the diagnosis and preoperative management of these tumors. These modalities may be of more value in monitoring cord function during tumor resection.

Diagnostic Procedures

• Lumbar puncture
  • In the case of a complete spinal block by the tumor, this procedure may precipitate a disastrous shift in the intrathecal contents.
  • This should not be the first test performed when a spinal cord tumor is suspected.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may show extremely elevated protein levels, and xanthochromia may be present.

Histologic Findings

Ependymoma (40-60% in adults, 30% in children)

The most common intrinsic spinal cord tumor has a male predilection and a mean age of presentation of 35-40 years. They occur anywhere in the cord and are commonly in the conus medullaris, where an exophytic component may be present. They rarely change growth characteristics and metastasize.

Lesions are characteristically hypovascular, well circumscribed, and noninfiltrative of the surrounding cord.  Sometimes they are associated with a cystic "capping” of the tumor poles (see Image 1). Symptoms are due a chronic dilation of neural tissue rather than infiltration. Complete resection often results in a cure.

Astrocytoma (35-45% in adults, 60% in children)

These lesions are more common in children than in adults. Sometimes they are associated with microcysts or syringes. The pilocytic varieties are well differentiated and tend to be indolent, with a definable surgical plane.

The remainder of low-grade astrocytomas are infiltrative and impossible to resect completely. Residual tumor often has an indolent course, and controversy exists in the management of such tumors.

Fortunately, anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma are rare. These malignant tumors exhibit rapid growth, are locally invasive, and may seed the CSF. Distinguishing between tumor and normal cord is difficult. Aggressive surgical resection has a controversial role with such tumors.

Hemangioblastoma (3-6%)

This is a vascular tumor that is associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease in 30% of cases. They often have an associated syrinx and occur in multiple locations. These should not be removed in a piecemeal fashion because significant bleeding may ensue, increasing the risk of the procedure. Removal of the lesion is considered curative.

Developmental tumors (2%)

Dermoid, epidermoid, and teratoma are slow-growing neoplasms with a thoracolumbar predominance. Some dermoids of the conus medullaris have been attributed to lumbar punctures that carry in cutaneous tissue.

These may have a dense capsule, precluding complete removal; although, this may be compatible with prolonged symptom-free survival. When complete removal is unobtainable, debris produced by the tumor may cause an early recurrence of symptoms.

Lipoma (2%)

Not true neoplasms, Lipomas present in the first 3 decades of life when fat is being deposited. They may be associated with cutaneous abnormalities. Loss of total body fat may be necessary to reduce the mass of the tumor.

Fibrous adhesions to the cord make total removal difficult. Removal is not the goal of surgery. The carbon dioxide laser is particularly useful during surgery for this lesion.¹

Others (4%)

Unusual lesions include subependymoma, ganglioglioma and intramedullary schwannoma, and neurofibroma. Management of low-grade lesions parallels other indolent lesions. Metastatic lesions to the spinal cord are unusual. Large series defining the management of these tumors are not available.

• Search for CME/CE on This Topic »

• Spinal Tumors (Orthopedic Surgery)