We report the characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cystic intradural extramedullary spinal cord tumors (cystic neurilemmoma, epidermoid cyst, and enterogenous cyst). T1-weighted MRI enhanced with gadolinium-DTPA clearly demonstrated the rim morphology of these tumors. The comparison between the rim enhancement pattern and histopathological findings offered possible qualitative diagnosis of these cystic spinal cord tumors by MRI.