Pediatric Astrocytoma Spinal Cord

  • Etiology:
    — Sporadic or associated with neurofibromatosis Type 1
    — Low grade astocytoma with malignant potential less than brain astrocytoma
  • Imaging:
    — Thoracic spinal cord most common
    — Eccentric or peripheral intramedullary spinal cord lesion
    — Usually spans multiple segments (typically less than 4 vertebral body segments)
    — Intramural cyst common
    — Enhances with irregular margins
  • DDX: Less intense and sharply demarcated than ependymoma and less hemorrhage than ependymoma
  • Complications:
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical:
    — Most common spinal cord tumor in children
    — 60% of pediatric intramedullary tumors

Radiology Cases of Astrocytoma of Spinal Cord

MRI of astrocytoma of spinal cord
Sagittal T1 (left), T2 (middle) and T1 with contrast (right) MRI of the thoracic spine shows an expansile lesion of the lower thoracic spinal cord that is isointense on T1, hyperintense on T2, and which enhances avidly with contrast.