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Functional Imaging in Oncology pp 683–702Cite as

Spinal Cord Tumors: Anatomic and Advanced Imaging

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Abstract

Spinal cord tumors (intramedullary tumors) account for about 15–20 % of all CNS tumors with an incidence of 1:100,000 persons [1]. They occur more frequently in children than in adults where they account for about 35 % of all CNS tumors. Overall, glial-based cord tumors represent 90 % of these masses and astrocytomas are the most common ones accounting for about 29 % of all primary spinal cord tumors. In adults, ependymomas are more common than any other primary tumors and account for nearly 60 % of all spinal cord masses. Clinically, both of these tumor types affect younger patients, ages between 30 and 40 years, but astrocytomas tend to occur at an earlier age than ependymomas and as stated previously are more common in children [2]. Both tumors are more common in males than in females.

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Abbreviations

2ry:

Secondary

ADC:

Apparent diffusion coefficient

ADEM:

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

AKA:

As known as

BOLD:

Blood oxygen level-dependent

Cho:

Choline

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

DTI:

Diffusion tensor imaging

DWI:

Diffusion-weighted imaging

FA:

Fractional anisotropy

fMRI:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

MR:

Magnetic resonance

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

MRS:

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy

MS:

Multiple sclerosis

NAA:

N-acetylaspartate

NF-2:

Neurofibromatosis type 2

NMO:

Neuromyelitis optica

T:

Tesla

VHL:

von Hippel-Lindau syndrome

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7510, USA

    Mauricio Castillo MD, FACR

  2. Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology Section, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, A-1090, Austria

    Majda M. Thurnher MD

Authors
  1. Mauricio Castillo MD, FACR
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  2. Majda M. Thurnher MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mauricio Castillo MD, FACR .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Health Time Group, Jaén, Spain

    Antonio Luna

  2. Clinica Girona Hospital Sta. Caterina, Gerona, Spain

    Joan C. Vilanova

  3. CDPI and IRM, Botafongo - Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil

    L. Celso Hygino Da Cruz Jr.

  4. Centro de Diagnóstico Dr. Enrique Rossi, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Santiago E. Rossi

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Castillo, M., Thurnher, M.M. (2014). Spinal Cord Tumors: Anatomic and Advanced Imaging. In: Luna, A., Vilanova, J., Hygino Da Cruz Jr., L., Rossi, S. (eds) Functional Imaging in Oncology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40582-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40582-2_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-40581-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-40582-2

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