Lumbar Spinal Schwannoma

62-year-old female with chronic back pain. There are two nodular, peripherally T2/STIR-isointense, centrally T2/STIR hyperintense, avidly enhancing lesions arising along the cauda equina of the lumbar spinal region. At the L5-S1 disc level, on the left, the enhancing lesion extends through and enlarges the associated neural foramen. The imaging features are suspicious for a neurogenic tumor, either schwannoma or neurofibroma. On pathologic section, a diagnosis of schwannoma was given. Schwannomas are the most common intradural extramedullary spinal tumors, occurring in up to 30% of cases. Spinal schwannomas are more frequently associated with hemorrhage, vascular flow voids, cystic change and fatty degeneration. Most cases of spinal schwannoma are sporadic and solitary; however, multiple schwannomas raise the possibility of neurofibromatosis-2.