Isolated spinal cord sarcoidosis mimicking an intramedullary tumor

A case of cervical intramedullary sarcoidosis and its uncommon magnetic resonance imaging with contrast medium are reported. Spinal cord sarcoidosis is very rare. It is difficult to diagnose intramedullary sarcoidosis without a previous diagnosis of systemic sarcoidosis or other apparent symptom. The patient had subacute myelopathy. Contrast-enhanced images revealed intense focal enhancement of the C6-7 cervical cord. The preoperative diagnosis was an intramedullary tumor. Subtotal resection was performed after intraoperative frozen section study was interpreted as malignant lymphoma. Subsequent pathologic examination of the biopsied specimens revealed spinal cord sarcoidosis. After surgery, steroid therapy was performed, but the patient's symptoms hardly improved. Even if imaging study and intraoperative frozen section show neoplasm, the first surgery should be limited to decompressing the cord and biopsy in cases of suspected sarcoidosis.