Table 1.

Imaging findings of benign spine tumors by histology

Histology	CT findings	MRI - T1	MRI - T2	MR Contrast Enhancement	Other
Meningioma	-Frequent calcifications -May have bone erosions, sclerosis or mixed osseous changes -May enlarge adjacent paranasal sinuses	Iso/hypo-intense	Hyper/iso-intense,	Homogeneous enhancement (except calcifications)	-Relatively more common in thoracic location -More common in females -Dural tail sign -Displacement of spinal cord (widening of the ipsilateral subarachnoid space)
Schwannoma	-Iso/hypo-dense -Bone remodeling -Scalloping of larger lesions -Rounded -Cystic changes	Iso-intense	-Hyper-intense, heterogeneous -Fluid signal intensity in cystic components -May have target sign (peripheral T2 hyperintensity with central hypointensity)	-Avid, irregular/heterogeneous enhancement	-Often in cervical/lumbar dorsal nerve roots with foraminal extension (dumbbell shape) -Peripherally located within nerve root -Fluid-fluid level may be present -Well circumscribed Multiple lesions in NF2 and schannomatosis
Neurofibroma	-Bone remodeling -Scalloping of larger lesions -Round or fusiform	Iso-intense	-Hyper-intense -T2 hyperintense rim with central hypointensity (target sign)	-Typically homogeneous enhancement	-Infiltrative lesion within nerve roots -Difficult to distinguish from schwannoma, particularly in the setting of NF2 -Commonly smaller than schwannomas -Multiple lesions may be seen in NF1