What is intramedullary tumors?
Intramedullary tumors are growths that develop in the supporting (glial) cells within the spinal cord. A spinal tumor is a growth that develops within your spinal canal or within the bones of your spine.
What is a intramedullary mass?
Intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs), like the one depicted in the image below, refer to a subgroup of intradural spinal tumors that arise from cells within the spinal cord, as opposed to adjacent structures such as the nerve roots or meninges.
What is the difference between an extramedullary and intramedullary tumor?
Intramedullary intradural lesions are within the substance of the cord. Extramedullary lesions are located within the dural sac but exterior to the spinal cord.
What is the most common intramedullary spinal cord tumor?
Ependymomas and astrocytomas are the most commonly encountered intramedullary spinal cord tumors, followed by hemangioblastomas. Other entities include lipomas, germ cell tumors, gangliogliomas, germinomas, lymphomas, and metastases.
What does intramedullary mean?
Medical Definition of intramedullary : situated or occurring within a medulla an intramedullary tumor of the spinal cord especially : involving use of the marrow space of a bone for support intramedullary pinning of a fracture of the thigh.
What does extramedullary mean?
Medical Definition of extramedullary 1 : situated or occurring outside the spinal cord or the medulla oblongata. 2 : located or taking place outside the bone marrow extramedullary hematopoiesis.
What are the clinical signs of an intramedullary tumor of the spinal cord?
The presentation of intramedullary tumors depends on their size and location. The most common presenting symptoms include back/neck pain, radicular pain, weakness, paresthesia, gait disturbance and bowel and bladder dysfunction. Brown-Sequard syndrome may occur.
What is intradural extramedullary tumors?
Intradural-Extramedullary tumors grow within the spinal canal but outside of the nerves. These tumors are usually slow-growing and benign, but can cause some pain and weakness.
What is an intramedullary injection?
Intramedullary cord injection is a rare complication of cervical myelography. The mechanism of spinal cord injury appears to involve a combination of physical compression from the injected liquid and neurotoxicity of the contrast material.
What is intramedullary sclerosis?
Intramedullary osteosclerosis is associated with abnormal bone formation in the medullary cavity of long bones and was first described as a distinct entity in 1988 (1). It typically affects the lower extremities and is most commonly found in the tibia; it occurs in adults and shows a female predilection.
What is the recovery time after spinal tumor removal?
Typically, patients remain in the hospital for 5 to 10 days after surgery to remove a spinal tumor. Physical rehabilitation is always part of the recovery process. The length of recovery time varies widely, ranging from 3 months to a year.
What is the difference between plasmacytoma and multiple myeloma?
A plasmacytoma is a type of abnormal plasma cell growth that is cancerous. Rather than many tumors in different locations as in multiple myeloma, there is only one tumor, hence the name solitary plasmacytoma. A solitary plasmacytoma often develops in a bone.
Medical Definition of intramedullary. : situated or occurring within a medulla an intramedullary tumor of the spinal cord especially : involving use of the marrow space of a bone for support intramedullary pinning of a fracture of the thigh.
What causes syringomyelia due to intramedullary tumors?
Syringomyelia due to intramedullary tumors Fluid accumulation is usually caused by secretion from neoplastic cells or hemorrhage. The tumors most often associated with syringomyelia are ependymoma and hemangioblastoma.
What is the prognosis for spinal cancer?
Survival Rate. The mean survival rate of spinal cancer is up to 40% when treatments are instituted. Some forms may have as low as 8% survival rate and others as high as 84% depending on the location, type and prognostic factors of the patient.
What are the symptoms of spinal cord cancer?
The symptoms of spinal cancer depend on several factors, including the tumor type, size, location, as well as age and health history of the patient. Some common spinal cancer symptoms include pain, numbness, weakness and difficulty with urination.