Diagnosis of spinal cord tumors of the conus by MRI

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristic MRI findings in spinal cord tumors of the conus. Ten patients, whose lesions included 4 neurinomas, 2 ependymomas, 1 neurofibroma, and 1 hemangioblastoma, 1 hemangioma, 1 malignant lymphoma and in which the histological diagnosis was established by examination of the surgical specimen, had been examined by MRI. The MRI findings in the neurinomas showed cyst formation with enhancement of the wall. Although the ependymomas were also characterized by cyst formation, the intensity of the cyst tumors was relatively homogeneous the T1, T2, and enhanced images. The characteristic finding in the hemangioma was flow void in the T2 images. No characteristic findings were identified in the other tumors. (authors)