Histopathology of space-occupying lesions of the spine

The first step in diagnosing spinal lesions is to define the anatomical location, especially via magnetic resonance tomography, which is also helpful for histopathologists. However, definite diagnosis is based on histologic and cytologic examinations especially in the case of fine-needle biopsies. In this short review the principal histopathologic diagnoses of primary and secondary tumors and tumor-like lesions of the spine itself, the epidural space, the spinal meninges and nerve roots, and the spinal cord are addressed. The significance of immunohistochemistry for differential diagnosis or, in cases of spinal metastasis, for determination of the primary is discussed.