Clinical Study of Spinal Cord Tumor and Metastasis Causing Cord Compression.

Yim, Man Bin; Chung, Hyuk In; Kim, In Hong

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 1980;9(1): 101-108.

Department of Neurosurgery, Presbyterian Medical Center, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.

ABSTRACT

The author have presented 58 cases with tumors in spinal canal who were admitted to the department of neurosurgery, Presbyterian Medical Center, Keimyung university school of medicine from March 1975 to September 1979. Of these, 35 cases had spinal metastasis causing cord or cauda equina compression and 23 cause had spinal cord tumors. We attempted to analyse these cases clinically and discussed with the review of the literatures. The results were summarized as follows: In the age distribution, The common incidence of age was between first and second decade in spinal cord tumors and fifth decade in metastatic epiural tumors. The ratio of male to female was about 2:1 in both cases. 2) The most common complaint was weakness of extremities(33 cases:94%) in metastatic epidural tumor and pain in back and extremities(23 cases:10%) in spinal cord tumors. The sphincter disturbance was somewhat more common in metastatic epidural tumors(25 cases:71%) than in spinal cord tumors(11 cases:48%). 3) The duration of symptoms from onset to admission in the patients with metastatic epidural tumors were shorter than in those with spinal cord tumors. The majorities of the duration of symptoms were some monthes in both cases. 4) Motor weakness, reflex change and sensory impairment were the most frequent physical findings. 5) The thoracic region was the most common site of spinal cord tumors and metastatic epidural tumors. 6) Plain spine X-ray was abnormal in 13 cases(56%) of spinal cord tumors, 5 cases(71%) in the metastatic epidural tumors. Twenty three cases in the spinal cord tumors and twenty five cases in the metastatic epidural tumors had done myelography, and it showed intradural convexity in 23 cases(100%) of spinal cord tumors, complete obstruction(serrated or transverse) in 23 cases(91%) of metastatic epidural tumors. 7) The most frequent pathology of spinal cord tumors was schwannoma(16 cases) and the most frequent primary site of metastatic epidural tumors was lung(4 cases). 8) The prognosis was relatively excellent in spinal cord tumors and poor in metastatic epidural tumors in spite of treatment with decompression and radiation therapy.