• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.265-268
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• 2014

Solitary fibrous tumor is rare benign mesenchymal neoplasm. The spinal solitary fibrous tumor is extremely rare. The authors experienced a case of intramedullary solitary fibrous tumor of cervicothoracic spinal cord in a 48-year-old man with right lower extremity sensory disturbance. Spinal MRI showed intradural mass lesion in the level of C7-T1, the margin between the spinal cord and tumor was not clear on MRI. A Left unilateral laminectomy and mass removal was performed. Intra operative finding, the tumor boundary was unclear from spinal cord and it had intramedullary and extramedullary portion. After surgery, patient had good recovery and had uneventful prognosis. Follow up spinal MRI showed no recurrence of tumor.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.272-275
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• 2010

Capillary hemangiomas are common soft tissue tumors on the skin or mucosa of the head and neck in the early childhood, but very rare in the neuraxis. A 47-year-old man presented with one month history of back pain on the lower thoracic area, radiating pain to both legs, and hypesthesia below 17 dermatome. Thoracic spine MRI showed $1{\times}1.3{\times}1.5\;cm$, well-defined intradural mass at T6-7 disc space level, which showed isointensity to spinal cord on T1, heterogeneous isointensity on T2-weighted images, and homogeneous strong enhancement. The patient underwent T6-7 total laminotomy, complete tumor removal and laminoplasty. Histologically, the mass showed a capsulated nodular lesion composed of capillary-sized vascular channels, which were tightly packed into nodules separated by fibrous septa. These features were consistent with capillary hemangioma.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.135-138
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• 2008

Objective: This study is to report our experience of 40 cases of spinal schwannoma. Methods: From 1995 to 2006, medical records were retrospectively reviewed in 40 cases of spinal schwannoma. Results: We treated 40 spinal schwannomas in 38 (22 male and 16 female) patients. The mean age was 50.2. Four cases were sited in the cervical spine, 11 cases in the thoracic spine, and 25 cases in the lumbar spine. Two patients showed recurrences. Thirty-eight cases were intradural-extramedullary type and 2 cases were extradural. Two cases (5%) including 1 recurred case had no postoperative motor improvement. Ninety-five percents of patients improved on postoperative motor grade. Conclusion: Spinal schwannoma is mostly benign and extramedullary tumor. There were 2 recurred cases (5%) that had history of previous subtotal removal at first operation and had shown worse prognosis compared with the cases without recurrence. To reduce the recurrence of spinal schannoma, total excision of tumor mass should be done.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.157-161
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• 2010

Primary central nervous system (CNS) melanoma is a rare condition that accounts for only 1% of all melanomas. A 34-year-old Korean female presented with a two-month history of progressive weakness in both legs. Spinal magnetic resonance image (MRI) revealed a spinal cord tumor at the level of T4, which was hyperintense on T1-weighted imaging and hypointense on T2-weighted imaging. The intradural and extramedullary tumor was completely resected and diagnosed as melanoma. There were no metastatic lesions. At three years after surgery, the patient is still alive, with no evidence of tumor recurrence. We present the details of this case along with a comprehensive review of spinal cord melanoma.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.916-920
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• 2001

Primary melanotic schwannoma in spinal cord is a very uncommon disorder, eight cases of melanotic schwannoma in spinal cord have been found in the literature. We present a case report of a patient with an intradural, extramadullary melanotic schwannoma in cervical spine and the literature on melanotic schwannoma is reviewed. The proposed theories on the origin of these tumors and treatment are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.256-259
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• 2009

The authors report a case of 42-year-old woman with an intraventricular tumor in the trigone of the left lateral ventricle. The first operation achieved a microscopically complete resection. The tumor was histologically atypical meningioma. After 26 months, there were recurrences of intraventricular meningioma. Complete resection of the tumor and adjuvant radiation therapy were performed, and the histological diagnosis was malignant meningioma. Sixteen months after the second operation, spinal metastasis in cervicolumbar lesion was diagnosed and a subtotal removal of cervical intradural extramedullary mass was performed. We describe an unusual case of intraventricular malignant meningioma with cerebrospinal fluid-disseminated spinal metastases with review of the clinical courses of previous reports.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.521-524
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• 2013

Ependymoma can spread via cerebrospinal fluid, but late spinal recurrences of intracranial tumor are very rare. We describe a case of a 33-year-old male who presented with multiple, delayed, recurrent lesions in the spinal cord from an intracranial ependymoma. The patient underwent gross total resection and postoperative radiation therapy 14 years prior to visit for a low grade ependymoma in the 4th ventricle. The large thoraco-lumbar intradural-extramedullary spinal cord tumor was surgically removed and the pathologic diagnosis was an anaplastic ependymoma. An adjuvant whole-spine radiation therapy for residual spine lesions was performed. After completion of radiation therapy, a MRI showed a near complete response and the disease was stable for three years.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1004-1012
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• 2001

Objective : The spinal cord tumors(including vertebral tumors) are increasingly diagnosed and operated due to development of refined diagnostic and therapeutic tools. It is necessary to re-evaluate clinical features and surgical results of spinal cord tumors with increasing cases and developing treatment modalities. The authors reviewed the spinal cord tumor cases to evaluate their clinical characteristics. Material and Methods : The retrospective review of 654 cases of spinal cord tumors between 1973 and 1999 was done. The clinical features, pathological analysis and surgical results were analyzed and compared to the literature. The results of the study are analyzed with a more detailed consideration of each of major pathologies : neurogenic tumors, meningeal tumors, neuroepithelial tumors, and metastatic tumors. Results and Conclusion : The spinal cord tumor was most common in the 5th decade of age(145 cases, 22.1%) and 78 cases(11.9%) were found in children under 15 years of age. The ratio of male to female was 1.2 : 1. The pathologic diagnosis was neurogenic tumor in 266 cases(40.7%), neuroepithelial tumor in 131(20.0%), metastatic tumor in 118(18.0%), and meningeal tumor in 94(14.4%) in the order of frequency. The tumor was located most frequently in the thoracic area(36.5%) and in the intradural extramedullary space(38.1%). The most common initial presentation was pain(40.1%) and the mean duration for presentation to operation was 14.8 months. The total or gross total removal was possible in 404 cases(61.7%) and the surgical result on the postoperative one month was recovery or improvement in 424 cases(64.8%), stationary in 188(28.7%), progression in 42(6.4%). As a surgical complication, there was a spinal deformity(12 cases), wound infection(5 cases), aspiration pneumonia(5 cases) etc. Neurogenic tumors and menigiomas showed good surgical results, whereas neuroepithelial tumors(except ependymoma) and metastatic tumors showed relatively poor prognosis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1238-1242
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• 2000

Spinal schwannomas are usually extramedullary intradural tumors and their intramedullary localizations are thought to be extremely rare. A 60-year-old woman complaining spastic quadriparesis, voiding difficulty and dyspnea was admitted. Her cervical MRI revealed an intramedullary mass in the cervicomedullary junction with multiple cyst which extended from lower cervical to C3 spinal cord. The mass showed a low signal on T1WI, high signal on T2WI with an wall enhancement. The patient underwent a suboccipital craniectomy and C1-2 laminectomy and the cystic tumor was totally removed through a midline myelotomy. The tumor was proved as an intramedullary schwannoma by pathologic examination. The Intramedullary presence of a tumor arising from the cells of the nerve sheath is unusual, because the central nervous system fibers do not contain the Schwann cell. There have been several hypotheses, but none has been accepted universally. This rare tumor is considered as a curable benign neoplasm, and an accurate intraoperative diagnosis and surgically total removal are essential.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2011

Objective : To present the profiles of spinal cord tumors that can be removed through a unilateral hemilaminectomy and to demonstrate its usefulness for benign spinal cord tumors that significantly occupy the spinal canal. Methods : From June 2004 to October 2010, 25 spinal cord tumors were approached with unilateral hemilaminectomy. We calculated the cross-sectional occupying ratio (CSOR) of tumor to spinal canal before and after the operations. Results : The locations of the tumors were intradural extramedullary in 20 cases, extradural in 2, and intramedullary in 3. The levels of the tumors were lumbar in 12, thoracic 9, and cervical 4. In all cases, the tumor was removed grossly and totally without damaging spinal cord or roots. The mean height and width of the lesions we195re 17.64 mm (3-47.5) and 12.62 mm (4-32.7), respectively. The mean CSOR was 69.40% (range, 27.8-96.9%). Postoperative neurological status showed improvement in all patients except one whose neurologic deficit remained unchanged. Postoperative spinal stability was preserved during the follow-up period (mean, 21.5 months) in all cases. Tumor recurrence did not develop during the follow-up period. Conclusion : Unilateral hemilaminectomy combined with microsurgical technique provides sufficient space for the removal of diverse spinal cord tumors. The basic profiles of the spinal cord tumors which can be removed through the unilateral hemilaminectomy demonstrate its role for the surgery of the benign spinal cord tumors in various sizes.