Spinal lipoma presenting as a mediastinal mass: diagnosis by CT

Spinal lipomas account for less than 1% of all spinal tumors. Prior to the advent of computed tomography, the preoperative diagnosis could only be suggested on the basis of nonspecific clinical and radiographic findings. We report a case of an unusual spinal lipoma that presented as a mediastinal mass. The low attenuation values of the tumor allowed a preoperative diagnosis. Computed tomography with metrizamide should serve as the first diagnostic procedure for evaluation of spinal lipomas.