J Korean Neurosurg Soc.
2006 May;39(5):385-388.
Intramedullary Subependymoma of the Thoracic Spinal Cord
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University, Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. jklee0261@yahoo.com
Abstract
- An Intramedullary subependymoma of the spinal cord is a rare tumor with only 43 reported cases in the literature. Most of them are reported to be localized within the cervical spinal cord. We report a rare case of a thoracic spine intramedullary subependymoma in a 37-year-old female who presented with back pain and radiating leg pain. Subtotal resection and post-operative radiotherapy were performed. Subependymomas developing in the spinal cord are benign with a low proliferative potential. Complete resection of the tumor appears to be the optimal method for a complete cure. However aggressive surgery may cause severe neurological deficit. Therefore, if severe neurological deficits are expected after complete removal, a partial removal and postoperative radiation therapy is an alternative method for treatment in selected cases. A large-scale randomized study is mandatory to clarify the effectiveness of radiotherapy and to establish the recurrence rate and prognosis with respect to the surgical removal of these tumors.
