title: Non-enhancing pilocytic astrocytoma of the spinal cord.
abstract: Pilocytic astrocytomas are among the most common intramedullary spinal cord tumors in the pediatric age group. The presence of contrast enhancement is a major factor used to distinguish these tumors from other spinal cord lesions. We present a case of histologically proved non-enhancing intramedullary spinal cord pilocytic astrocytoma in a 12-year-old girl. This case represents an exception to the conventional wisdom that pediatric spinal neoplasms enhance with administration of intravenous contrast material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology A-030, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 E. Ninth Ave., Denver, CO 80262, USA. david.larson@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hedlund
mesh_terms: D001132:Arm / Q000473:pathology; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000209:etiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium