Intramedullary Subependymoma of the Thoracic Spinal Cord.
- Author:
Woo Youl JANG
1
;
Jung Kil LEE
;
Jae Hyoo KIM
;
Soo Han KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University, Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. jklee0261@yahoo.com
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Intramedullary;
Subependymoma;
Spinal cord
- MeSH:
Adult;
Back Pain;
Female;
Glioma, Subependymal*;
Humans;
Leg;
Prognosis;
Radiotherapy;
Recurrence;
Spinal Cord*;
Spine
- From:Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
2006;39(5):385-388
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
An Intramedullary subependymoma of the spinal cord is a rare tumor with only 43 reported cases in the literature. Most of them are reported to be localized within the cervical spinal cord. We report a rare case of a thoracic spine intramedullary subependymoma in a 37-year-old female who presented with back pain and radiating leg pain. Subtotal resection and post-operative radiotherapy were performed. Subependymomas developing in the spinal cord are benign with a low proliferative potential. Complete resection of the tumor appears to be the optimal method for a complete cure. However aggressive surgery may cause severe neurological deficit. Therefore, if severe neurological deficits are expected after complete removal, a partial removal and postoperative radiation therapy is an alternative method for treatment in selected cases. A large-scale randomized study is mandatory to clarify the effectiveness of radiotherapy and to establish the recurrence rate and prognosis with respect to the surgical removal of these tumors.
