Leptomeningeal spread of intramedullary spinal cord tumors. Report of three cases.

Three patients with intramedullary spinal cord tumors and secondary leptomeningeal spread of their tumors are presented. Two patients had astrocytomas and one had a ganglioglioma. Two tumors were located in the cervical spinal cord and one within the thoracic spinal cord. Review of the past and recent literature shows leptomeningeal dissemination of spinal cord tumors to be relatively rare, but it should be suspected and investigated in any patient whose condition deteriorates following removal of a spinal cord neoplasm.