fig 1.

Case 2: 38-year-old man with right shoulder pain.

A, CT myelography shows an epidural mass displacing the thecal sac to the left side at the C5–C6 level. The ipsilateral neural foraminal widening is observed (arrows).

B and C, T1-weighted (B, 418/12/2 [TR/TE/excitations]) and T2-weighted (C, 3648/99/2) axial MR images show a large mass (arrows) in the right paravertebral space at the C6–C7 level, which is isointense to muscle with T1 weighting (B) and hyperintense to muscle with T2 weighting (C). The mass displaces the thyroid gland, right common carotid artery and right internal jugular vein anteriorly, and right scalene muscle laterally. This mass surrounds the adjacent muscles (arrowheads in C), suggesting the infiltrative nature of the tumor.

D and E, Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (418/12/2) axial MR images (D, C6–C7 level; E, C5–C6 level) reveal slightly inhomogeneous, moderate enhancement of the mass (arrows in D). Ipsilateral neural foraminal widening (arrows in E) and an encased ipsilateral vertebral artery (arrowhead in E) are also observed.

F, Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (400/12/2) coronal image clearly shows the encased right vertebral artery traversing the mass.