[Spinal cord tumors and tumors causing spinal cord compression in the aged]

In incipient disorders of gait in old people frequently the possible presence of a benign spinal tumour is not taken into account. The patients are treated for assumed common complaints associated with old age. Thus much valuable time is lost before the only correct approach--surgery--is made. The author describes in her own group of patients early symptoms of spinal compression and supplements data by case-histories. The results of surgery in a group of patients with benign spinal tumours depended on the degree of spinal compression as well as on the duration of this compression. In the group of epidural secondary spinal tumours the results of surgery were not satisfactory.