Microsurgical treatment of myxopapillary ependymomas in the spinal cord terminal filaments
LI Ning
WANG Shou-long
WANG Bo
SHANG Ya-jun
YANG Zhi-yong
SONG Xiao-bin
Abstract：Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics and microsurgical treatment principles of the myxopapillary ependymomas in the spinal cord terminal filaments. Methods The clinical data of 16 patients with spinal cord terminal filaments myxopapillary ependymomas who underwent surgery from January, 2010 to January, 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, including the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment. Results The first symptom was numbness or weakness in the lower extremities in 8 patients, pain in 1 and fecal and urinary incontinence in 4. The ependymomas were found out on physical examination in 3 patients. Preoperative McCormick spinal cord function score was grade Ⅰ in 11 patients and grade Ⅱ in 5. Preoperative MRI showed that the tumors were in the lumbar spines in 13 patients and in the lumbosacral spines in 3. The Tumors were totally removed in all the patients. Symptoms were significantly improved on discharge from hospital in all the patients. The recurrence of the tumors, tethered cord syndrome and spinal deformity were not observed in all the patients during following-up from 10 to 70 months. Conclusions Microsurgical removal of the lesion should be selected first in the patients with myxopapillary ependymoma in the spinal cord terminal filaments, in whom the prognoses are mainly affected by degree of preoperative neurological deficits and surgical methods.
Keywords：Myxopapillary ependymomaSpinal cordTerminal filamentMicrosurgical treatment
Publication Date：2018-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：3( 407-409 )