Introduction The cervical spine is the least common site affected by metastatic tumors of the vertebral column, but despite this, the presence of space occupying lesions in this region may cause severe symptomatology and morbidity. Additional involvement of the upper…
Introduction Intramedullary spinal cord lesions represent a diagnostic challenge. Lesions occupying the cervico-medullary junction are rare entities, and the actual prevalence has not been reported. Patients who present with myelopathic symptoms and findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) typically exhaust…
Introduction Spinal tumors account for up to 15% of all tumors in the neuroaxis. Based on their anatomical location, the spinal tumors are classified as extradural, intradural extramedullary, or intradural intramedullary (spinal cord tumors). Intradural tumors account for 3% of…
Introduction The thoracic spine, which includes attachments to the rib cage, is one of the most challenging regions for surgical interventions. Intramedullary cord thoracic lesions are not common, where intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs) only account for 20% to 30%…
Introduction Metastatic spine disease is one of the most feared complications of cancer with serious sequelae such as torturous pain, paralysis, and sphincter and sexual dysfunction. Approximately 30% of cancer patients develop symptomatic metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) and…
Introduction Intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors are tumors of the neuro-axis that grow within the confines of the dura mater but are extrinsic to the spinal cord itself. Epidemiological studies have estimated the incidence of IDEM tumors to be approximately 0.74…
Introduction Spinal metastatic disease is seen in almost 40% of cancer patients, and up to 20% of those patients will have spinal cord compression. The American Cancer Society found that there were 1.7 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in…
Introduction Primary tumors may spread to the spine in 20% to 40% of cancer patients, and approximately 20% of these patients will be symptomatic from their tumors. Their symptomatology may be related to compression of the spinal cord, leading to…
Introduction Intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors arise within the confines of the dura mater but are not intrinsic to the spinal cord itself. Epidemiological studies have reported an incidence of approximately 0.74 per 100,000 person years. These tumors are typically considered…
Introduction Chondrosarcomas are primary malignant tumors that may arise from the cranial skull base or axial skeleton and are characterized by neoplastic growth of hyaline cartilaginous tissue. Primary spinal tumors such as chondrosarcoma only account for about 4% to 13%…