title: [Lipoma of the filum terminale: a prospective tomodensitometry study].
abstract: A lipomatous aspect of the filum terminale is sometimes recognized in routine lumbosacral CT studies as a small (1 to 2 mm) tubular fatty hypodensity that lies posteriorly in the dural sac. To study the epidemiologic frequency and pathological significance, the authors prospectively reviewed the standard lumbosacral CT studies of a large series of 1033 adult patients suffering from mechanical problems. The lipomatous aspect was encountered in 39 of them (3.77%). The average size was about 1 mm and never exceeded 2 mm (92%) except for 3 cases. The commonest site was L4-L5 but the anomaly was more commonly seen at two levels. Despite the lack of histological proof, the authors consider the lesion benign and trite with two restrictions: the pediatric cases (not studied in their series) and the patients presenting a lipoma greater than 3 mm; for these two groups further investigations are recommended to exclude a tethered cord syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Imagerie Médicale, Clinique St Luc, Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coulier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mailleux
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002420:Cauda Equina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008067:Lipoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016136:Spina Bifida Occulta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
vernacular_title: Le lipome du filum terminale: une étude TDM prospective.