The diagnosis of spinal tumors many times begins with your doctor looking for the cause of symptoms that are very often associated with other common medical conditions. So, you might ask how do doctors diagnose spinal tumors and what physical exams or medical tests are used when a spinal tumor is suspected?

Physical and Neurological Exams for Spinal Tumors

Spinal tumors are not a common occurrence and may be difficult to diagnose. A spinal tumor can develop without specific physical symptoms or with symptoms that commonly associated with other medical conditions. Because of this, the diagnosis of a spinal tumor could take several weeks as your doctor rules out other conditions first.

Scientists today still do not know what causes spinal tumors or why some individuals develop them. However, one of the most common symptoms that patients will first report is back pain. This is a very broad symptom, and a host of conditions can cause it, therefore you shouldn’t jump to conclusions in the early process of diagnosis. Doctors are looking for persistent or recurrent pain that is difficult to alleviate or even worsens over time.

Other symptoms will depend on the size and location of the tumor. These symptoms can include numbness, tingling, changes in bowel and bladder habits, curvatures of the spine, paralysis, and changes in gait (walking). All of these symptoms can be evaluated with a routine physical examination done by your primary care provider with additional testing if necessary.

Diagnostic Tests for Spinal Tumors

Your doctor can use different tests to diagnose spinal tumors. Some of these include:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)- An MRI is a radiology procedure that uses a powerful magnetic field and radio waves. It can provide detailed images of the spinal cord, spinal column, the nerves, and the surrounding tissues. These images can be used to determine whether a spinal tumor is present, its size, and location. This test may be performed with or without intravenous (IV) contrast to enhance certain images.
• Biopsy- A biopsy is a small amount of tissue that is collected from a tumor. This tissue is then sent to a medical laboratory to determine if the tumor is benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), and to diagnose if the tumor is a primary or secondary location for abnormal cell growth.

Based on these different diagnostic tests and physical findings, your doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. They can determine if a tumor is the cause of symptoms and if so where it is located, its size and what type of tumor it is. All of this information is necessary for the doctor to determine if immediate treatment is required and to present you with all of the possible treatment options that are available.

References

American Association of Neurological Surgeons. (n.d.). Spinal Tumors. Retrieved from https://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Spinal-Tumors

Casser, H. R., Seddigh, S., & Rauschmann, M. (2016). Acute Lumbar Back Pain: Investigation, Differential Diagnosis, and Treatment. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 113(13), 223-234. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4857557/

Matsumoto, Y., Harimaya, K., Kawaguchi, K., Hayashida, M., Okada, S., Doi, T., & Iwamoto, Y. (2016). Dumbbell scoring system: a new method for the differential diagnosis of malignant and benign spinal dumbbell tumors. Spine, 41(20), E1230-E1236. https://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Abstract/2016/10150/Dumbbell_Scoring_System__A_New_Method_for_the.14.aspx

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. (n.d.).  Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Retrieved from https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/science-topics/magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri