Tumors of the magnum are rare with many of these lesions having curious presentations due to the complex anatomy of this region there by making their diagnosis difficult.
During the last 12 years, we have encountered 6 cases of foramen magnum tumors, all of which were extramedullary, 4 neurilemomas, one meningioma and one neurofibroma.
All cases were treated with surgical excision. There were no deteriorations in these cases after surgery. From the foramen magnum to C2 level, the cervical canal is wide, so if a space occupying lesion is here, the symptoms are often very slight, although the tumor may be relatively big. It is important to consider this tumor and to make an early diagnosis, MRI is very useful for this, and take appropriate treatment measures before permanent damage results.
