Computed Tomography (CT) is generally not a recommended modality for diagnosis and evaluation of spinal cord tumors. Evaluation with Magnetic Resonance (MR) most commonly demonstrates a circumscribed solid or mixed solid and cystic mass spanning a long segment of the cord with hypointense T1 signal and hyperintense T2 signal in the solid component. Enhancement patterns are highly variable, ranging from minimal to marked, and may be solid, rim, or nodular. Adjacent cord edema and syringomyelia and peritumoral cysts may be present in addition to reactive scoliosis. It is nearly impossible to differentiate<unk>  from other more common intramedullary neoplasms based on imaging alone. Astrocytoma and ependymoma are more familiar intramedullary tumors which share many similar features to<unk> , including T2 hyperintensity, enhancement, tumoral cysts, and cord edema. Poorly defined margins may be more suggestive of astrocytoma, while a central location in the spinal cord, hemorrhage, and hemosiderin staining are often seen with ependymoma. Hemangioblastoma and paraganglioma are less usual intramedullary tumors, but since they are more frequently encountered than<unk> , they should also be included in the differential diagnosis.
Ganglioglioma
Paraganglioma
Neurothekeoma
Subependymoma
Central neurocytoma
Schwannoma
Pilocytic astrocytoma
Ependymoma