Spinal cord tumors make up 2 to 4 percent of all tumors of the nervous system. They occur very rarely, with a frequency of one new case per year per 100,000 inhabitants. Spinal cord tumors are initially treated conservatively with pain medication. If paralysis and/or sensory disturbances occur, spinal cord tumors should be surgically removed.
Here you will find further information and selected spinal cord tumor specialists and centers.
Spinal cord tumors are located in the middle of the nerve cells and lead to changes there. A distinction is made between
Spinal cord tumors account for 2 to 4 percent of all tumors of the nervous system. The incidence is 1/100,000 inhabitants. These rare tumors are 95 percent benign. This means that they do not spread into the body and are therefore not life-threatening.
A distinction is made between spinal cord tumors that originate from the nerve cells of the spinal cord or from the blood vessels in the spinal cord.
The most common spinal cord tumors are the so-called ependymomas. These spinal cord tumors originate from the wall cells of the central canal in the spinal cord and displace the nerve cells. Only very few of these spinal cord tumors become malignant and spread to the rest of the body.
The most common vascular tumors are cavernomas. They can be located throughout the spinal cord and become symptomatic due to acute bleeding.
Vascular tumors cause very acute symptoms in the back that occur suddenly. Very often they are accompanied by neurological deficits such as sensory disturbances or paralysis.
The tumors of the nerve cells grow slowly and cause more and more symptoms as they progress, such as
There is no typical symptom, which means that many spinal cord tumors are only recognized after a delay.
The spinal cord (here: yellow) is located in the spinal canal, which is formed by the individual vertebrae © hooyah808 | AdobeStock
Among other things, anMRI scan should provide information about the type of tumor and its extent in the spinal cord.
It is important that the doctor has ruled out the following diseases as causes of the symptoms:
Conservative therapy is indicated as a first measure in the case of a spinal cord tumor. This essentially means pain treatment with medication. Rapid diagnosis is then helpful.
Other measures bring little improvement. As soon as a spinal cord tumor causes symptoms and is detected, surgical removal should be considered.
In the case of a spinal cord tumor, surgical therapy is primarily used if paralysis and/or sensory disturbances have occurred. The symptoms are often very pronounced and lead to partial or complete paralysis of the patient.
The surgical technique depends on the extent and location of the spinal cord tumor. In most cases, removal is performed from the back with stabilization of the spinal column.
The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, the spinal column is opened, the spinal cord is exposed and the operation is performed under monitoring of the nerve conduction (monitoring).
If surgical removal is not possible, radiotherapy is used.
After an operation to relieve pressure on the spinal cord, the patient should be mobilized quickly. Accompanying physiotherapy is useful for this. Regular check-ups and imaging should be arranged in the further course.
The Leading Medicine Guide's quality assurance is ensured by the following acceptance prerequisites.
