Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (SDAVF) are the most common acquired arteriovenous shunts that occur in adults. By increasing venous pressure in the spinal venous system they are a cause of venous congestive myelopathy. We report the case of a patient with a SDAVF mimicking, on magnetic resonance imaging, the presence of a spinal cord tumour due to an unusual pattern of enhancement after gadolinium administration.