Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors Long-Term Clinical Evaluation

• Published in: Spinal Surgery Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 71 - 80
• Main Author: Koyama, Tsunemaro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Society of Spinal Surgery 2004
• Subjects: astrocytoma; cavernous angioma; ependymoma; hemangioblastoma; intramedullary tumor; long-term clinical evaluation
• ISSN: 0914-6024; 1880-9359
• DOI: 10.2531/spinalsurg.18.71

Between the end of 1979 and the end of 2002, the author operated 24 cases of intramedullary astrocytomas, 34 ependymomas, 12 hemangioblastomas and 30 vascular tumors. The long-term results were investigated at the end of March 2002. Nearly half of the patients with astrocytoma died in 5 years without regard to historogical malignancy except for the pilocytic astrocytoma and astrocytoma grade I. About 6 months after the operation, 91.3% of the patients with ependymoma in cervical including cranio-cervical and cervico-thoracic level went back to work. On the contrary 75% of the patients, who had tumor in thoracic level indicated no significant recovery and had to reconcile themselves to wheelchair life. The functional prognosis of the patient with hemangioblastomas is good so far as he was operated properly. Just half of the causes of the intramedullary hematoma were the cavernous angioma, and the clinical and functional prognosis were generally excellent. During the same period the author experienced 10 miscellaneous tumors and also 10 nontumorous intramedullary lesions.