[Retrospective study of 50 cases of spinal meningioma]

The clinical history prior to surgery of 50 consecutive cases of spinal meningioma was reviewed. The following features turned out to be particularly interesting: a 7:1 female to male ratio; the symptoms began after the sixth decade in no less than 66% of patients; only 36% were correctly diagnosed as having spinal tumor at the first clinical examination; the average duration of symptoms was 16 months prior to surgery. Such findings are discussed and compared with those of the previous reports.