Intradural extramedullary spinal tumors

Although intradural tumors are uncommon, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with back pain, radicular pain, sensorimotor deficits, or sphincter dysfunction. These tumors can be subclassified into extradural, intramedullary, and extramedullary spinal cord tumors on the basis of their anatomical relation to the spinal parenchyma. The heterogeneous cell composition of the intradural compartment allows the formation of neoplasms, arising from glial cells, neurons, and cells of spinal vasculature. In this chapter, we discuss the epidemiology, radiographic and histological characteristics, as well as the management of intradural extramedullary tumors.