Pediatric Lipoma of the Filum Terminale

  • Etiology: Congenital
  • Imaging MRI:
    — Fatty lesion of any size in filum terminale
    — Look for secondary signs of cord tethering on the scan – scoliosis or syrinx or fecal and urinary retention
  • DDX:
  • Complications:
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical:
    — Lipoma of filum terminale not uncommon and often discovered incidentally but can be associated with cord tethering
    — Tethered cord is typically a clinical diagnosis

Radiology Cases of Lipoma of the Filum Terminale

Radiology Cases of Lipoma of the Filum Terminale and Tethered Cord

MRI of lipoma of the filum terminale and tethered cord
Sagittal T1 MRI without contrast of the lumbar spine (left) shows hyperintense signal in the conus medullaris which lies low in position at the level of L2-L3. Axial T1 MRI through the conus (right) better shows the hyperintense signal in the conus which is the same signal intensity as the subcutaneous fat.