MR imaging of neoplasms of the lumbar spine

MR imaging has evolved as the primary modality for imaging spinal neoplasms; however, neoplasms must be distinguished from unusual appearances of degenerative lesions. This article reviews MR imaging findings of a variety of neoplastic lesions of the lumbar spine. For example, extradural, metastatic tumors are the most common; nerve sheath tumors are the most common intradural extramedullary tumors; and ependymoma accounts for most of the tumors arising from the filum terminale.