Case 1:

A healthy 27-year-old-woman, in her first pregnancy,developed moderate low back pain after a Caesarean section.  Despite bed rest and analgesics, the symptoms persisted and the pain began to radiate to her legs.  In extreme pain, she came to the emergency room.

MRI of the lumbar spine revealed an oblong mass at the lumbar spine (T12-L1 vertebrae).  The intradural mass was removed surgically, and later pathology classified it as a myxopapillary ependyoma.  

The patient made a full recovery; her only complaint was urinary retention, which was resolved once pain-killers were discontinued.  Post-operative MRI revealed no evidence of residual tumor.

Key points:

• Worsening back pain and new neurologic complaints following spinal or epidural anaesthesia for Caesarean section or vaginal delivery can indicate an intraspinal tumor.
  
  
• Most intradural spinal tumors present in the third to fifth decades of life. 
  
  
• Acute hemorrhage into a spinal cord tumor can cause symptoms ranging from severe low back pain to paralysis and loss of bladder or bowel control.