Intradural Hemangioendothelioma of Lumbar Spine: Dilemmas and Differentials in Diagnosis.

Background: Vascular tumors of the spine range from benign hemangiomas to malignant angiosarcomas. Hemangioendotheliomas of spine are tumors of intermediate-grade malignancy with rare occurrence in the intradural location. The imaging and histopathologic features may mimic other common lesions occurring at this location.

Cervical solitary long segment cystic Schwannoma.

Cystic neurofibromas are very rare and are of separate entity; occurrence in the cervical spine extending over a long segment intra-durally is very rare. There is a paucity of literature available on cervical cystic Schwannoma and its MRI characteristics. As the preoperative diagnosis of these tumors helps in planning the surgery for this rare tumor the imaging findings reported herein may aid in the preoperative diagnosis and management.

Surgical management of brainstem hydatid cyst--an unusual site.

Background: The authors describe their surgical experience of a hydatid cyst in the brainstem, which is an unusual site. The cyst was internally decompressed and totally excised. Although the Dowling technique has been described to be the ideal method for removal of hydatid cysts, it may not be possible when the cyst is in a deep-seated, vital, and eloquent location.

Concomitant cervical and lumbar intradural intramedullary lipoma.

Background: Lipomas of the spinal cord are often a component of spinal dysraphic states. Nondysraphic intramedullary spinal cord lipomas are rare, and concomitant isolated cervical and lumbar intradural intramedullary lipomata are very rare. One patient with concomitant isolated nondysraphic cervical and lumbar spinal cord lipomata has been reported and management options discussed.