Primary intradural extramedullary ependymoma: imaging findings and review of the literature. A case report.

We describe a 32-year-old woman who presented with progressive dorsal back pain. Neither sensory nor motor deficit was reported. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the dorsal spine revealed a primary intradural extramedullary lesion with severe spinal cord compression. No other lesion was found in the central nervous system. During surgery an intradural extramedullary tumor was found without medullary infiltration and a total removal was achieved under microscopic guidance. The histological diagnosis revealed a benign extramedullary ependymoma. The patient recovery completely after surgery and at a follow-up of 24 months MRI showed no evidence of tumor recurrence. Ependymoma should be taken in account in the differential diagnosis on intradural extramedullary tumours.