Totally cystic intradural extramedullary schwannoma

Totally cystic intradural extramedullary lesions are uncommon and form a different spectrum of conditions as compared to the commonly seen intradural extramedullary tumors. Spinal schwannomas are benign tumors arising from spinal nerve root sheaths and are the most common intradural extramedullary spinal tumors. Though cystic changes in schwannomas are well described, most spinal schwannomas are solid or heterogeneous solid tumors and a totally cystic schwannoma is uncommon. The authors describes a case of totally cystic intradural extramedullary schwannoma and stress the importance of complete contrast imaging to differentiate this rare but almost completely curable tumor from other common intradural cystic lesions of the spine.