A very rare hemangioblastoma of the filum terminale with sciatic pain and partial cauda syndrome in a 36-year-old man is presented. The difference between solitary hemangioblastoma, hemangioblastomatosis and von Hippel-Lindau disease is stressed. The literature is reviewed and the diagnosis of cauda equina neoplasms is discussed. Even nowadays often the final diagnosis is made late and only after operation and microscopical tissue examination.