A Case of Nondysraphic Intramedullary Spinal Cord Lipoma

Abstract

  Intramedullary lipomas of the cervical spinal cord without dysraphism are rare lesions, accounting for only 1% of spinal cord tumors. We experienced a 60-year-old male with cervicothoracic (C6 to T2) lipoma who complained of dysesthesia in his lower extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging identified a tumor which was dorsolateral to the cord in the intramedullary legion. In these cases, a fat suppression sequence is useful for diagnosis. He underwent surgery for partial removal of the tumor and expansive laminoplasty. Postoperative course of the patient was uneventful and follow-up showed an improvement in sensory disturbance.