Primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the spinal cord: case report and review of the literature.

We present the clinical, radiological, and pathological features of a primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) that occurred in the thoracic spinal cord of a 69-year-old man. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated on T1-weighted images a 2x1x5 cm isointense intraspinal mass with homogeneous contrast enhancement extending from the C7 to the Th3 level. There was no clinical or radiological evidence for the existence of an intracranial tumor. Histological examination revealed a small round cell tumor with rosette formation and immunohistochemical characteristics of a PNET. The patient is the oldest among the 20 cases with this rare spinal cord neoplasm reported so far in the literature; the previously published cases are briefly reviewed.