[Spinal cord tumor in childhood--case report on an extradural cyst in the spinal cord].

The present paper is concerned with special aspects of the incidence, type-specificity, age distribution, and symptomatology of spinal tumors in childhood. Differences from similar processes observed in adults agre discussed. Difficulties of diagnosis are reported, and the advantages and disadvantages of various diagnostic methods are described. The case of an eleven-year-old child who was diagnosed as having developed an extradural spinal cyst has been restored to for a discussion of this rare phenomenon. The usually unfavorable prognosis in the case of childhood spinal tumors underscores the need for early recognition and immediate surgical therapy.