Australasian radiology
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Australasian radiology · Dec 2002
Case ReportsMR imaging of a ruptured intraspinal dermoid tumour with fat droplets in the central spinal canal.
We report a patient with intramedullary ruptured spinal dermoid tumour. The MR imaging revealed an intra-medullary lumbar mass heterogenous in intensity in all sequences. ⋯ Fat droplets in the subarachnoid space are frequently seen in the rupture of intraspinal dermoid tumours; however, fat droplets within the central canal is quite rare and was unexpected. Magnetic resonance imaging is a useful tool in the determination of spinal pathologies before they become large enough to cause severe symptoms and/or morbidity.