title: Intraspinal primitive neuroectodermal tumor: imaging findings in six cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively review CT and MRI findings in a series of six intraspinal primitive neuroectoderal tumors and to find out their radiological features.
  
  
  METHODS
  CT and MRI of six patients with surgically and pathologically proved intraspinal primitive neuroectoderal tumor were retrospectively reviewed. The tumor location, morphological features, signal intensity, calcification, contrast enhancement characteristics, involvement of paraspinal soft tissues and adjacent bony structures were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of six patients, four had extradural lesions and two had intradural, extramedullary lesions. Most lesions were well defined and manifested heterogeneous iso- or hypo-intense signal on T1-weighted imaging and hyper-intense signal on T2-weighted imaging and moderate attenuation on CT, and were heterogeneously enhanced after contrast enhancement. The lesion extending through the intervertebral foramen with a large paraspinal soft tissue mass formed was found in four patients and vertebral bone involvement was seen in four patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although imaging findings are not specific of intraspinal primitive neuroectoderal tumor, this diagnosis could be suggested when MR imaging depicts an intradural, extramedullary or extradural large well-circumscribed mass which extends out from intervertebral foramen and invades paraspinal soft tissues or vertebral bones in a young patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 107 Yanjiang Road West, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Ruo-Mi
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bi-Ling
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018242:Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA