Neoplastic and Paraneoplastic Involvement of the Spinal Cord

Neoplasia of the spinal cord, including both primary and metastatic tumors, is relatively rare, representing 4%-10% of all central nervous system tumors, and can present a diagnostic challenge to the radiologist. More than 90% of primary spinal cord neoplasms are derived from the glial cell lineage, including the 2 most common tumors ependymoma and astrocytoma. However, less common spinal cord tumors, including metastatic disease, as well as nonneoplastic and paraneoplastic processes should be considered in the diagnosis of intramedullary spinal cord lesions.