Dr. Lalithakumari G,
BACKGROUND A spinal tumour is an abnormal tissue within or surrounding the spinal cord and spinal column. MRI is the investigation of choice in evaluation of spinal cord tumours because of better soft-tissue contrast, multiplanar capability, better visualisation of anatomical details of the spinal column, and narrows down the differentials in diagnosis. We wanted to study the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of spinal tumours, classify the spinal tumours into extradural, intradural, extramedullary, and intramedullary compartments and review the differential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of various spinal tumours. METHODS Our study included 36 patients with signs and symptoms of neurological deficit after clinical examination by clinician referred to the Department of Radiodiagnosis for MRI examination from various departments of Santhiram Medical College and General Hospital and also from other hospitals. MRI scan was performed for all those patients in sagittal plane T1W, T2W, axial plane T1, T2, coronal plane T2, fat-suppressed sequence STIR, T1 postcontrast axial, coronal, sagittal planes, and diffusion-weighted sequences. RESULTS The total number of patients studied was 36, of whom 24 were males, 12 were females. The age of patients ranges from 10 to 65 years. The commonest type of spinal tumours extradural (16 cases (44%)) followed by extramedullary intradural (11 cases-31%)) followed by intramedullary tumours (9 cases (25%)). In extradural type, metastases are common. In extramedullary intradural type, meningioma is the commonest tumour, and the intramedullary type ependymoma is the commonest tumour. Lumbar spine is the commonest site of the tumours (44%), followed by the dorsal spine (35%), then the cervical spine (18%), and sacrococcygeal region 3%. In cervical region common pathologies were metastases followed by neurofibroma, in dorsal region metastases followed by meningioma, schwannoma, in lumbosacral region metastases is the common pathology followed by ependymoma. CONCLUSIONS Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the investigation of choice in the evaluation of spinal tumours because of better soft tissue contrast, and better anatomic details. Gadolinium enhanced MRI narrows down differentials of spinal tumours diagnosis.
