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Myxopapillary ependymoma - spine

Case contributed by Ammar Haouimi
Diagnosis probable

Presentation

Chronic low back pain with no neurological deficit.

Patient Data

Age: 30 years
Gender: Male

Well-defined sausage-shaped intradural extramedullary mass at T12-L1 level lateralized to the right measuring 62 x 22 x 18 mm. It elicits an isosignal to the spinal cord on T1, high signal on T2 and STIR with heterogeneous enhancement on post-contrast sequences. The spinal cord and cauda equina nerve roots are compressed and displaced to the left. No extension into the intervertebral foramina or dural tail sign. Moderate vertebral scalloping is noted.

Case Discussion

MRI features of intradural extramedullary mass at T12-L1 level compressing and displacing the adjacent segment of the spinal cord with no dural tail sign or extension through the adjacent foramina suggestive of myxopapillary ependymoma.

The main differential diagnosis includes: 

For more details, please refer to the article: intradural intramedullary spinal tumors.

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