• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제54권6호
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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.

• 대한영상의학회지
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• 제81권6호
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• pp.1466-1471
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• 2020

척추 경막 내 신경집종에 염전이 동반되는 경우는 드물다. 우측 엉치 통증과 하지 방사통을 주소로 내원한 63세 남자의 요추 수준에서 경막 내 신경집종이 발견되었다. 이 신경집종은 조영증강 자기공명영상에서 조영증강이 잘되지 않았고, 자기공명영상 및 척수조영-전산화단층촬영 영상에서 검사할 때마다 위치가 바뀌었다. 환자는 수술적 절제를 받았으며 신경집종은 염전을 동반하고 있었다.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.128-132
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• 2020

Tanycytic ependymoma is a rare variant of ependymoma that commonly affects the cervical and thoracic spinal cord. It usually arises as intramedullary lesions, and extramedullary cases are extremely rare. We report a case of a 44-year-old woman who was diagnosed with tanycytic ependymoma in her lumbar spine at level 2-3. The tumor mass developed in an intradural extramedullary location. Histopathologically, tanycytic ependymoma can be misdiagnosed as schwannoma or pilocytic astrocytoma. Immunohistochemical findings such as strong positivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein, perinuclear dot-like positive patterns for epithelial membrane antigen, and focal positivity for S100 protein are helpful in diagnosing tanycytic ependymoma. It is important to be aware of this rare tumor to ensure appropriate patient management and accurate prognosis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제43권3호
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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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• 제50권3호
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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.

• Clinical Pain
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.39-42
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• 2021

A 29-year-old woman had 1-month history of back pain radiating into lower extremities, motor weakness, and sensory abnormalities in both lower extremities. Contrast-enhanced spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a homogeneously enhancing mass at the T12~L1 and several intradural enhancing nodular lesions at L2~S1. Tumor resection surgery was performed and following histological examination showed that the tumor satisfied the diagnostic criteria for atypical choroid plexus papilloma (CPP). To find primary tumor sites, contrast-enhanced brain MRI, whole spine MRI, and PET-CT were carried out and additional lesions were detected at the fourth ventricle, right cerebellum, and upper thoracic spinal cord. This is a very rare case of metastatic atypical CPP that involves brain, upper thoracic spinal cord, and cauda equina with initial manifestation of radicular symptoms without clinical signs of primary brain lesion.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제29권9호
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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.

• 대한영상의학회지
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• 제84권5호
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• pp.1066-1079
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• 2023

목적 경막내척수외 뇌실막세포종의 임상 및 영상 특성에 대한 보고는 드물다. 하지만, 발생 위치와 병리학적 특성을 고려하였을 때 점액유두상 뇌실막세포종과 구별하기 어렵다. 본 연구는 경막내척수외 뇌실막세포종과 척수 점액유두상 뇌실막세포종을 구별하기 위한 임상적 특징 및 MRI 영상 특징을 조사하였다. 대상과 방법 종양 크기, 종양의 종축/횡축 위치, 조영 정도/패턴, 동공, 종양 변연, T2 강조 영상(T2-weighted image), T1 강조 영상(T1-weighted image; 이하 T1WI), 종양 아래의 cerebrospinal fluid (이하 CSF) T1 신호강도 증가 및 CSF space로의 종양 전파에 대하여 12개의 병리학적으로 확인된 경막내척수외 뇌실막세포종과 10개의 병리학적으로 확인된 척수 점액유두 뇌실막세포종을 대상으로 분석을 하였다. 또한, 분류 및 트리 분석(classification and tree analysis; 이하 CART) 을 수행하여 경막내척수외 척수 뇌실막세포종을 점액유두 뇌실막세포종과 구별하는 데 중요한 임상적 특징 및 MRI 영상 특징을 조사하였다. 결과 경막내척수외 뇌실막세포종 환자는 척수 점액유두 뇌실막세포종 환자보다 유의하게 나이가 많았으며(48세 vs. 29.5세, p < 0.05), T1W1에서 높은 신호 강도는 점액유두상 뇌실막세포종보다 경막내척수외 척수 뇌실막세포종에서 더 자주 관찰되었다(p = 0.02). 반대로 점액유두상 뇌실막세포종은 지주막하강으로의 종양의 파급을 보였다. CSF 신호 강도는 경막내 척수외 척수 뇌실막세포종보다 점액유두 뇌실막세포종에서 더 자주 관찰되었다(p < 0.05). 종양 아래로의 CSF T1 신호 증가 및 CSF space로의 종양 전파는 경막내척수외 척수 뇌실막세포종과 점액유두 뇌실막세포종을 구별하기 위한 CART 분석에서 가장 중요한 변수였다. 결론 경막내척수외 뇌실막세포종과 척추 점액유두 뇌실막세포종을 구별하는 데 있어 임상 및 MRI 영상의 특징이 도움이 될 수 있다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.47-53
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• 2001

Objective : This study was undertaken to evaluate operative results and prognosis according to preoperative clinical status and histopathological finding of spinal cord tumor. Methods : We analyzed of clinical feature, tumor location, histopathologic finding, operative results and prognosis in 55 patients with spinal cord tumor during last 10 years. Results : 1) The incidence of spinal cord tumors varies with the age of affected patients who are 2 to 75 years of age. Peak incidences were in the 5th & 7th decade of life, and the ratio of male to female was 1.2:1. 2) The most common histopathologic type was neurinoma(41.9%). 3) The tumors were located most frequently in the thoracic area(22 cases, 40.0%) and in the intradural extramedullary space(30 cases, 54.5%). 4) The most common initial clinical feature was pain in 20 cases(36.4%). For neurologic status on admission, 30 cases(54.5%) showed motor disturbance. 5) In radiologic studies, there were abnormal finding in 21 cases from plain X-rays among 37 cases. The entire 20 cases in when myelography was done showed subarachnoid blockade, either complete or incomplete. The magnetic resonance imaging, regard as the most accurate diagnostic method, revealed the exact location of the tumor and the relationship of the tumor with the adjacent anatomical structure. 6) The total removal was possible in 36 cases(65.5%), subtotal removal in 17 cases(30.9%) and biopsy in 2 cases (3.6%). Nineteen cases(90.5%) among 21 cases with preoperative radiculopathy group showed recovery or improvement, where as only 11 cases(36.7%) among 30 cases with preoperative motor weakness group showed recovery or improvement, with statistically significant difference(p<0.01). Pathologically, 26 cases(83.9%) among 31 cases of neurinoma and meningioma showed postoperative recovery or improved, but only 1 case(6.3%) among 16 cases of metastatic tumor, astrocytoma and ependymoma recovered. Postoperative complication noted in 5 cases(9.1%), and were noted postoperative hematoma, pneumonia, pulmonary edema and spinal cord infarction. Conclusion : Preoperative neurologic status and histopathologic finding are considered important factors of Postoperative outcome in patients with spinal cord tumor.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.448-451
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• 2010

Primary central nervous system (CNS) sarcomas are exceedingly rare, and, to the best of our knowledge, there has not yet been a report of intramedullary sarcoma. Here, we report a primary intradural intramedullary sarcoma of the spinal cord in a four-year-old boy who presented with low back pain and a radiculopathy involving both lower extremities. The tumor showed significant enhancement on magnetic resonance (MR) images due to its extreme vascularity. Gross total tumor removal was performed with microelectrical pulse recording, and the patient also received adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. After the operation, the patient's sensory deficits were improved. Because CNS dissemination is common, entire neuraxis evaluation is essential, although there was no evidence of dissemination in this case. The prognosis of primary CNS sarcoma is poor due to infiltrative nature and early CNS dissemination is common, and the treatment of choice is radical surgical resection. Adjuvant therapy is also beneficial with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.