DUMBBELL-SHAPED SPINAL EPIDURAL CAVERNOUS ANGIOMA - CASE-REPORT

Cavernous angiomas are common lesions of the CNS characterized by abno rmally dilated blood vessels lined by a thin endothelium, closely clus tered together and not separated by normal neural tissue. They are mor e frequently found intracranially. In the spine, a common location is the vertebral bodies. Intradural extramedullary and intramedullary cav ernous angiomas are less frequent lesions, while purely epidural locat ions are uncommon. Spinal dumbbell-shaped epidural cavernous angiomas are exceedingly rare, and only six cases have been reported in the lit erature. We describe one additional case whose MRI appearance was indi stinguishable from that of a neurinoma, which is a much more common le sion. Surgical treatment is advised and complete radiological evaluati on is necessary to rule out concomitant localizations in other organs.