eMedicine Specialties > Neurosurgery > Neoplasm

Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors: Multimedia

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

Multimedia

The first panel shows a cervical syrinx. The diff...Media file 1: The first panel shows a cervical syrinx. The differential diagnosis for syrinx includes trauma, Chiari malformation, and dysmerogenesis. A syrinx can also be the by product of a tumor, which may be distant anatomically from the associated syrinx. The second panel shows a small enhancing ependymoma of the thoracic spine that was found during the workup for the cervical syrinx.
The first panel shows a cervical syrinx. The diff...

The first panel shows a cervical syrinx. The differential diagnosis for syrinx includes trauma, Chiari malformation, and dysmerogenesis. A syrinx can also be the by product of a tumor, which may be distant anatomically from the associated syrinx. The second panel shows a small enhancing ependymoma of the thoracic spine that was found during the workup for the cervical syrinx.

This is a sagittal image of an enhancing conus me...Media file 2: This is a sagittal image of an enhancing conus medullaris lesion in a 45-year-old man who presented with midline back pain. This hemangioblastoma was removed completely. The patient remains neurologically intact, and imaging of his neuroaxis did not reveal other lesions.
This is a sagittal image of an enhancing conus me...

This is a sagittal image of an enhancing conus medullaris lesion in a 45-year-old man who presented with midline back pain. This hemangioblastoma was removed completely. The patient remains neurologically intact, and imaging of his neuroaxis did not reveal other lesions.

Axial image of hemangioblastoma described in Imag...Media file 3: Axial image of hemangioblastoma described in Image 1.
Axial image of hemangioblastoma described in Imag...

Axial image of hemangioblastoma described in Image 1.

This is a sagittal image of an enhancing cord les...Media file 4: This is a sagittal image of an enhancing cord lesion in a 41-year-old man with a rapidly progressing severe quadriparesis. A biopsy showed this to be sarcoidosis. Following treatment with steroids, he is now ambulatory with assistance.
This is a sagittal image of an enhancing cord les...

This is a sagittal image of an enhancing cord lesion in a 41-year-old man with a rapidly progressing severe quadriparesis. A biopsy showed this to be sarcoidosis. Following treatment with steroids, he is now ambulatory with assistance.

Axial image of the patient described in Image 6.Media file 5: Axial image of the patient described in Image 6.
Axial image of the patient described in Image 6.

Axial image of the patient described in Image 6.

View of a cervical intramedullary ependymoma in s...Media file 6: View of a cervical intramedullary ependymoma in situ after midline myelotomy and initial dissection (top left). The tumor was removed en bloc (right), and the postsurgical cavity in the spinal cord is shown (bottom left).
View of a cervical intramedullary ependymoma in s...

View of a cervical intramedullary ependymoma in situ after midline myelotomy and initial dissection (top left). The tumor was removed en bloc (right), and the postsurgical cavity in the spinal cord is shown (bottom left).

More on Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors

Overview: Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors
Workup: Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors
Treatment: Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors
Follow-up: Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors
Multimedia: Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors
References

References

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  2. Kothbauer K, Deletis V, Epstein FJ. Intraoperative spinal cord monitoring for intramedullary surgery: an essential adjunct. Pediatr Neurosurg. May 1997;26(5):247-54. [Medline].

  3. Cristante L, Herrmann HD. Surgical management of intramedullary spinal cord tumors: functional outcome and sources of morbidity. Neurosurgery. Jul 1994;35(1):69-74; discussion 74-6. [Medline].

  4. Sgouros S, Malluci CL, Jackowski A. Spinal ependymomas--the value of postoperative radiotherapy for residual disease control. Br J Neurosurg. Dec 1996;10(6):559-66. [Medline].

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  13. Ogden, AT and McCormick, PC. Intradural Spinal Tumors. In: Bernstein, M and Berger, MS. Neuro-oncology: The Essentials. 2. New York: Thieme; 2008:36: 379-390.

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  16. Stein BM, McCormick PC. Spinal intradural tumors. In: Wilkins RH, Rengachary SS, eds. Neurosurgery. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 1996:1769-89.

Further Reading

Keywords

spinal cord, intramedullary spinal tumors, intramedullary spinal cord tumor, intrinsic spinal tumors, intrinsic spinal tumor, spinal cord tumors, spinal cord tumor, intramedullary tumors, intramedullary tumor, intradural spinal tumors, intradural spinal tumor, intramedullary, spinal cord, tumors, tumor, spine tumors, spine tumor, spinal tumors, spinal tumor, spinal 

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Alfred T Ogden, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center
Alfred T Ogden, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Nicholas Wetjen, MD, Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellow, University of Utah, Primary Children's Hospital
Nicholas Wetjen, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Thomas L Francavilla, MD, Chief of Neurosurgery Section, Department of Surgery, Brookwood Medical Center
Thomas L Francavilla, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Neurological Surgeons and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Duc Hoang Duong, MD, Professor, Chief Physician, Departments of Neurological Surgery and Neuroscience, Epilepsy Center, Charles R Drew University
Duc Hoang Duong, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Neurological Association, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and North American Skull Base Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Ryszard M Pluta, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Neurosurgical Department Medical Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences at Warsaw, Poland; Senior Researcher, Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH
Ryszard M Pluta, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: Congress of Neurological Surgeons and Polish Society of Neurosurgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Paolo Zamboni, MD, Professor of Surgery, Chief of Day Surgery Unit, Chair of Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Italy
Paolo Zamboni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Venous Forum and New York Academy of Sciences
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Allen R Wyler, MD, Former Medical Director, Northstar Neuroscience, Inc
Allen R Wyler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurological and Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and Society of Neurological Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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