Tumors and tumorlike lesions of the spine and spinal cord.

In this article, a variety of disorders that may occur in the spine and spinal cord and behave as space occupying lesions are presented. The lesions may be of various natures such as infectious, inflammatory, demyelinating, neoplastic, and vascular disorders. In addition, cystic lesions and diseases of the vertebral column that secondarily affect the spinal cord are also discussed. Although the various aspects of these disorders are reviewed, the emphasis is given on their morphologic presentation, which may help the understanding of their radiologic appearances.