Spinal carcinoid metastasis with dural invasion

To present the unusual finding of a lumbar intradural carcinoid metastasis in a 67-year-old man with a primary thymic carcinoid diagnosed 16 years before presentation.

The history and imaging findings of this patient are presented, and the literature is reviewed.

Only three patients with intradural carcinoid tumors, including the one described here, have been reported. In each case, the tumor was discovered in the lumbar region. All patients were treated with surgery. The clinical behavior of metastatic carcinoid in the central nervous system (CNS) and the treatment rationale are also described.

Carcinoid tumor metastases are rarely identified in the CNS even in patients with advanced metastatic disease.