Introduction Cavernous malformations (CMs) rarely occur in the spinal cord and account for less than 10% of all CMs. However, since the broad use of high-resolution magnetic scans, CMs of the spinal cord are found more often and currently represent 20% of all the intramedullary spinal tumors. They generally present in younger populations (second and third decade) and do not appear to have a sex predilection.…

Introduction Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) are the most common vascular lesion of the spinal cord, and they account for 70% of all AV shunts of the spine. Type I dAVFs are defined as an abnormal intradural low flow communication between a radiculomeningeal artery and a radicular vein (radiculomedullary vein) draining into the intradural venous plexus. In general, spinal vascular malformations encompass 3% to 4% of…

Introduction Basilar invagination (BI) is among the common pathological conditions afflicting the cranio-cervical junction. Primary development is associated with syndromic conditions such as trisomy 21, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and Marfan syndrome; secondary development is associated with inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and bony abnormalities such as cervical-vertebral body fusions. Other associated conditions include Chiari malformation, platybasia, and atlanto-axial (AA) instability. BI is a dynamic condition characterized…

Introduction Chordomas are uncommon malignant neoplasms of the bone that can arise anywhere along the central nervous system. These tumors originate from persisting remnants of the notochord, and their behavior is aggressive due to their invasiveness and high recurrence rates. Distant metastases are not unusual, and sacral and vertebral chordomas are more prone to metastasize. Chordomas most often metastasize to the lung, followed by the lymph…

Introduction Intradural extramedullary thoracic spinal cord tumors are rare entities that cause thoracic myelopathy and occasionally radiculopathy. These tumors occur in 5 to 10 per 100,000 persons. The two most common intradural extramedullary pathological diagnoses are schwannomas and meningiomas. Schwannomas are usually solitary lesions and multiple schwannomas occur in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2. Ninety percent of spinal meningiomas are located in the thoracic spine and…

Introduction Foramen magnum meningiomas comprise a rare group of neoplasms that affect primarily the lower cranial nerves and cervico-medullary junction. Meningiomas located on this region represent 1.8%–3.2 % of all meningiomas and 8.6 % of all spinal meningiomas. Although infrequent, extradural extension is seen in 10% of the cases. These tumors are more frequently found during the fifth and sixth decades of life. The onset of…

Introduction The cervical spine is the least common site affected by metastatic tumors of the vertebral column, but despite this, the presence of space occupying lesions in this region may cause severe symptomatology and morbidity. Additional involvement of the upper thoracic segment often leads to instability. Metastatic tumors are more common than primary tumors in this region. The surgical management of metastatic lesions to the cervico-thoracic…

Introduction Intramedullary spinal cord lesions represent a diagnostic challenge. Lesions occupying the cervico-medullary junction are rare entities, and the actual prevalence has not been reported. Patients who present with myelopathic symptoms and findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) typically exhaust conservative measures before undergoing open biopsy for histological diagnosis and/or resection due to the associated neurological morbidity of the procedure. The location of the lesion with…