Tumors Affecting the Spinal Cord

This chapter provides an overview of intramedullary, intradural extramedullary, and extradural spinal tumors. The chapter reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, imaging, and management for each category of tumor. The most common types of intramedullary tumors are ependymoma, astrocytoma, and hemangioblastoma. The most common types of intradural, extramedullary tumors are meningioma, schwannoma, and neurofibroma. Extradural tumors are most commonly metastatic in nature. Primary bone tumors have diverse pathologies and make up the minority of extradural tumors.