Complete microsurgical excision of cervical extramedullary and intramedullary vascular malformations.

Eleven patients with vascular malformations of the cervical spinal cord have been operated upon at the University of Zürich. Total microsurgical excision was achieved in all. One patient had a lesion which was entirely intramedullary. Nine patients had combined lesions, intramedullary and extramedullary. Only one patient had a lesion which was entirely extramedullary. There was one operative death from meningitis. Another patient improved slightly postoperatively, but eventually died of urological complications. One patient had the operation immediately following his only subarachnoid hemorrhage, and has thus been protected from neurological damage. One patient has had postoperative reversal of his progressive neurological deterioration and severe pain. Six patients severely impaired preoperatively improved dramatically. One patient who was quadriplegic preoperatively has regained function in her upper extremities. The treatment of choice in lesions such as these is complete microsurgical excision.