Paraganglioma of the cauda equina: a highly vascular tumour

Paragangliomas uncommonly occur in the cauda equina region. This type of tumour may be misdiagnosed pre-operatively as a neurinoma or an ependymoma. Paragangliomas are highly vascular tumours. We report three patients with paraganglioma of the cauda equina. The first patient had many dilated vessels resembling an arteriovenous malformation, which were seen during surgery. The second patient had a post-operative haemorrhage without any residual tumour. The third patient had a selective angiogram with dense tumour staining.