Extramedullary Tumor - Thoracic Meningioma

A 72 year-old woman presented with stiffness of the legs and difficulty ambulating. On examination, the lower extremity reflexes were brisk with bilateral Babinski responses.

Show the Tumor                 Show the Spinal Cord Compression

Extramedullary Tumor: Thoracic Meningioma. (Left) T1-weighted sagittal MRI; (Right) T2-weighted sagittal MRI. Note the tumor arising from the dura posteriorly and compressing the spinal cord at the T3 level. The mass is isointense on the T1-weighted scan and is nearly impossible to appreciate. The rounded contours of the mass which is surrounded by spinal fluid, but below the dura, identify the location as extramedullary and intradural. Tumors in this location are most often meningiomas or schwannomas. Surgical excision of the mass demonstrated the lesion to be a meningioma.

Revised 11/29/06
Copyrighted 2006. David C Preston