Dorsal foramenal extraosseous epidural cavernous hemangioma

Cavernous hemangiomas are vascular hamartomatous malformations that affect the central nervous system. This pathology is frequently encountered in the cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, and brainstem. Cavernous hemangiomas infrequently occur at the spinal level or relative to an intramedullary localization; extramedullary epidural sites are also sometimes affected by this pathology. We report an extradural, extramedullary, cavernous hemangioma with foramenal extension of the dorsal section and discuss the differential diagnosis with dorsal foramenal neurinoma. A 52-year-old woman was admitted with irritation and deficit symptoms radiating into the left D3 spinal root space. The first radiological diagnosis was of a foramenal neurinoma beginning at the D3 root. The presence of a heterogeneous MR signal in both T1 and T2 images led us to consider the differential diagnosis of a cavernous hemangioma lesion. The patient underwent microsurgical treatment with a far lateral extraforamenal approach. Symptoms quickly improved: pain and dysesthesia disappeared after surgery and only light hypoesthesia was found. We want to stress the importance of MR imaging in formulating a correct differential diagnosis with foramenal neurinoma and underline that microsurgical treatment with a far lateral extraforamenal approach allowed us to remove the lesion completely without affecting Denis's posterior column, the lamina, and the articular facet.