Intraspinal lipomas with spina bifida. Prognosis and treatment in 73 cases.

The authors present a series of 73 cases of intraspinal lipomas in the lumbosacral region. Sixty-four patients were operated on, 43 of these under intraoperative monitoring of neural function. The results of this series and of major series published in the past 10 years demonstrate both the potential severity of these lesions (which are responsible for progressive neurological deficits in 56% of affected cases) and the benignity of their surgical treatment. The authors emphasize the usefulness of systematic early surgical treatment of these lesions.