[Postoperative prognostic factors in patients with spinal cord tumors]

This study is to analyse the prognostic factors of the patients with spinal cord tumors, consisted of intramedullary tumor (33 patients), multiple extramedullary tumor (15), solitary cauda equina tumor (22), and solitary extramedullary tumor (48). The significant prognosis of intramedullary tumors depends on the histopathological type, the tumor margin, and the extramedullary tumor extension. Multiple extramedullary tumors had a tendency to recur at the different spinal cord levels; poorer long-term clinical results than those with solitary spinal cord tumor. Solitary cauda equina tumor cases showed good clinical course except for the bladder disfunction. Prognostic factors for solitary extramedullary tumors were the preoperative neurological status, the duration of myelopathy prior to surgery, the age at surgery, the tumor size, tumor location along the spinal axis, and the site of tumor in relation to the spinal cord.