'Tumour-like' lesion caused by cervical discal instability.

We present the case of a man in his 40s who sought medical attention due to central cord syndrome. MRI findings demonstrated contrast uptake, spinal swelling, syrinx formation and narrowing of the spinal canal. We encountered two potential scenarios:when malignancy is suspected, the patient would undergo a biopsy. However, if the lesion is ultimately determined to be benign, the patient would have been subjected to an avoidable risk of neurological damage associated with the procedure. Conversely, addressing the lesion as a result of a degenerative process (discal instability), performing an anterior approach for interbody fusion with an underlying malignant process could lead to substantial delays in the diagnosis, finally producing a poor outcome. A comprehensive imaging workup was conducted to rule out malignancy. We hypothesised that discal instability was responsible for the observed findings. The patient was successfully treated with anterior cervical decompression and fusion, without complications. Follow-up evaluations confirmed remission of the condition.

Fourth ventricle meningiomas: a rare entity.

Fourth ventricle meningiomas (FVMs) are rare, often misdiagnosed, lesions. To the best of our knowledge, 47 cases have been reported in the literature: we describe our series of three cases treated at our Institution, focusing on some diagnostic tips and intraoperative features of these tumours. Our three patients have a history of headache. Gait disturbances, vomiting and/or diplopia complicated the clinical picture before the referral at our Department. The operations were uneventful, and the patients fully recovered from neurological symptoms. They are free of recurrence at a median follow-up of 19 years. FVMs are rare lesions, which are difficult to differentiate preoperatively from the much more common ependymomas. A preoperative distinction would be extremely advantageous: indeed, although both tumours share similar radiological and clinical patterns, they clearly differ as to surgical difficulty and outcome. In fact, meningiomas are comparatively easier to remove, granting better clinical results.