Primary Spine Tumors

Primary spinal tumors are a group of neoplasms that are comprised of a large group of various benign and malignant entities. These can arise from the spinal cord itself (intramedullary), the dural sheath (intradural extramedullary), or from surrounding soft tissues and bone (extradural). In this chapter, the authors will focus on extradural primary spinal tumors. Unlike the more common entities of myeloma, lymphoma, or secondary metastatic lesions of the spine, primary spinal tumors only represent approximately 5% of all skeletal tumors. In this chapter, an overview of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this group of rare tumors will be provided.