Spinal schwannoma with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage: a diagnostic challenge.

We report a case of spinal intradural schwannoma presenting with intracranial subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral angiography studies were negative, but MR imaging of the spine revealed a large hemorrhagic tumor in the thoraco-lumbar junction. The tumor was misdiagnosed as ependymoma of the conus medullaris. This case illustrates the importance of a high index of suspicion for spinal disease in angiographically-negative subarachnoid hemorrhage and pitfalls in MR diagnosis of thoraco-lumbar tumors.