Microsurgical treatment of intramedullary spinal cord tumors

Eighty patients with intramedullary spinal cord tumors were treated by microsurgical methods between 1988 and 1996. Twenty-nine patients were diagnosed with astrocytoma, 36 with ependymoma, five with metastasis, four with lipoma, three with dermoid or epidermoid tumor, two with neurofibroma, and one with neuroma. Vascular and infectious lesions (such as abscesses and hemangioblastomas) were excluded. After laminectomy, total removal of the lesion was achieved in 68 of 80 patients and subtotal removal in 12. Postoperative radiation therapy was performed in 13 of 80 patients. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 92 months (mean 42.2 months). All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging at intervals ranging from 3 months to 5 years postoperatively. Four patients showed clinical and radiological evidence of local tumor recurrence during the follow-up period. Four patients died 5 months to 15 months postoperatively from the re-expansion of their primary metastatic disease. The operative results at long term (after the 6th postoperative month) were better than the results at short term (before the 6th postoperative month) and revealed clinical improvement in 63, no change in 10, and deterioration in seven patients. We recommend early radical surgery, whenever possible, to be performed when the patient's neurological status is still good. Subtotal removal and irradiation are better for malignant or metastatic tumors. Partial decompressive removal is best for large intramedullary lipomas. Plastic laminotomy with preservation of the intervertebral joints is especially recommended in young or middle-aged patients.