[Spinal tumors in infancy and childhood]

In the period from 1954 to 1976, 80 children were operated on in the Neurosurgical Clinic Budapest because of spinal tumours (40,7% extradural, 24.7% intradural-extramedullary, 34.6% intramedullary).

6 neurofibromas, 17 gliomas, 17 sarcomas, 12 dermoids, 6 osteoclastomas, 6 cysts, 3 haemangiomas, 2 teratomas, 2 lipomas, 1 chordoma and others. Spinal tumours in children are, expressed in percentage figures, much rarer than in adults. Diagnosed were mainly: No learning of walking, changes in the form of the vertebral column, bone changes in the X-ray picture, myelographs with air, xenon, myodil. In case of malignant tumours, chemotherapy was used additionally. Malignant intramedullar tumors were only subjected to decompression. In all other cases, operation was as radical as possible, in recent years microsurgically. Early lethality 3, tumour lethality 12 children. An important requirement is the wearing of a corset in order to diminish distortion of the vertebral column.