The authors analyzed 52 cases of spinal cord tumor who had been operated upon at the department of neurosurgery of the Koryo General Hospital from 1983 to 1992. The results were summerized as followings: 1) The spinal cord tumor was most common in the 6th decade of age(52 cases, 28.8%) and the ratio of male to female was 1.26:1. 2) The pathologic diagnosis was neurogenic tumor in 25 cases(48.1%), metastatic tumor in 12 cases(23.1%), glial tumor in 6 cases(11.5%), and meningeal tumor in 3 case(5.7%) in order frequency. 3) The tumors were located most frequently in the thoracic area(19 cases, 36.5%) and in the intradural extramedullary space(28 cases, 53.9%). 4) The most common initial presentation was pain(27 cases, 51.9%) and on admission 14 cases(26.9%) showed paraparesis. 5) The rate of abnormality of the plain radiologic study was 59.6% and the most common positive finding was the pedicle erosion(15 cases, 28.8%). 6) The computed tomographic scanning with water soluble contrast media was useful in planning of operation to provide the exact relationship between the tumor, spinal cord and location of dura. 7) The total removal was possible in 27 cases(51.9%). 8) The follow-up results after 19.4 months of the mean follow-up duration in 46 cases were recovery in 29 cases(63.0%), improvement in 12 cases(26.0%), stationary state in 3 cases(6.5%), worse in 2 cases(4.3%). It was excellent particulary in cases of intradural-extramedullary tumor. 9) The incidence of metastatic tumor was 23.1%(12 cases) and the lung was most common primary focus. The follow-up result of metastatic tumor was poor than the other tumors.
Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung ; Male ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; Neurosurgery ; Paraparesis ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms* ; Spinal Cord*