Intradural Extramedullary Metastases caused by systemic cancer

ABSTRACT

Studies have shown that only a small percentage of metastatic lesions arising outside the central nervous system spreads to the spinal subarachnoid space. The MRI findings of the two cases of surgically proven intradural extramedullary metastases from systemic cancer are presented with a review of the literature. The size of these tumors were more than 2 cm. They were ill defined isointense signal lesions in comparison with spinal cord on T1 and T2 weighted image. On proton density image the tumors had more demarcated high signal intensity than the intermediate signal intensity of spinal cord and the lower signal intensity cerebral spinal fluid. The postcontrast T1 weighted MR images postcontrast revealed well contrast enhancement of the mass.