title: [Intramedullary tumours and pseudotumours].
abstract: Swelling of the spinal cord and/or enhancement after intravenous gadolinium administration are not always specific features of intramedullary tumour. These may also be seen in association with several diseases of inflammatory, infectious, granulomatous or vascular origin. A tumour is characterized by its sagittal location, axial topography: central, lateral or exophytic, its size and size of the spinal canal, macroscopic components: calcium, fat, methemoglobin, melanin, hemosiderin, vascular pedicle, cystic component, enhancement after intravenous gadolinium administration, effect on the spinal cord tracts and edema. Characteristics: astrocytoma is lateral and infiltrative, ependymoma is central with white matter tract displacement and hemosiderin cap, hemangioblastoma is postero-lateral and shows enhancement with a vascular pedicle, metastases are very edematous or leptomeningeal in location.
authors.affiliation: Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc UCL, avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgique. guy.cosnard@uclouvain.be
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cosnard
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Duprez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grandin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hernalsteen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D018325:Hemangioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009187:Myelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000556:secondary
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media