Capillary hemangioma of cauda equina: a case report

BACKGROUND: Capillary hemangiomas of spinal nerve root, mostly affecting the cauda equina, are extremely rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20-year old man was presented with back pain, radiculopathy, and urogenital symptoms. Magnetic resonance images revealed an intradural extramedullary mass, isointense in T1-weighted and hyperintense in T2-weighted images, with noticeable post injection enhancement. The clinical and radiological findings simulated neurinoma. However, a pinkish lesion was removed surgically and histopathological examination revealed lobules of capillary vessels separated by fibrous tissue, suggesting capillary hemangioma. CONCLUSION: Although rare and sometimes indistinguishable from more common lesion, capillary hemangioma should be in differential diagnosis of any enhancing intradural extramedullary mass at the level of cauda equina or conus medullaris.