[Surgical treatment of benign dumbbell-shaped intra-extravertebral tumors].

BACKGROUND

Aims of the research at was to determine optimal surgical strategy or treatment of dumbbell-shaped tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We present a series of 48 dumbbell-shaped tumors consecutively observed at the spine surgery department of the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute (Moscow, Russia) during a period from 1991 to 2005. Mean age of patients was 41.4 years. Mean duration of symptoms was 8.2 years. In 24 cases (50%) tumors were located in cervical region, in 15 (31.2%) in thoracic region and in 9 (18.7%) in lumbosacral region.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study showed that total one-stage tumor removal is optimal. Selection of approach is based on tumor location. In cervical level depending on placement of tumors we used posterior approach, posterior lateral approach, and "far lateral" approach. In thoracic and lumbosacral level we applied lateral extracavitary approach. One-stage surgery of dumbbell-shaped neuromas and neurofibromas provides excellent prognosis after gross total removal.