|
A 68 year-old man presented with a six week history of low back pain followed by shooting pain down the right leg. |
| Metastasis to the Pedicle: Sagittal MRI scans; (Left)
T1-weighted scan; (Right) T2-weighted scan. Note the large tumor arising from the pedicle, obliterating the neural foramen at that level.
Metastatic tumors that affect the spine often begin as a
metastasis to bone, especially the pedicle. As they grow, they
cause local pain. They then enlarge further and affect the exiting
nerve root at that level resulting in a clinical radiculopathy. Only
later do they grow and compress the spinal cord or cauda
equina, depending on their location. |
Revised
11/29/06
Copyrighted 2006. David C Preston