Spinal cord lesions are traditionally classified as either extradural or intradural extramedullary or of intramedullary origin. Intramedullary spinal cord tumours are histopathologically similar to cranial tumours with a diverse range of pathologies. Astrocytomas and ependymomas account for approximately 80% of all intramedullary tumours, with other primary and secondary lesions accounting for the remaining 20%. Magnetic resonance imaging is the preferred imaging modality for diagnosing and characterising spinal cord lesions; however, accurate characterisation of tumour histology can be challenging, and is further confounded by intramedullary non-neoplastic lesions, such as demyelinating vascular, inflammatory, infectious, or traumatic lesions. This review illustrates the spectrum of intramedullary tumours and tumour mimics with emphasis on the imaging findings. Copyright © 2020 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Citation
S G Kandemirli, A Reddy, P Hitchon, J Saini, G Bathla. Intramedullary tumours and tumour mimics. Clinical radiology. 2020 Nov;75(11):876.e17-876.e32
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PMID: 32591229
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