Dorsal Intramedullary Tumours Five Years Experiences and Review of Literature

Fourteen patients admitted with intramedullary spinal cord tumours and operated at Medical College, Kolkata, during a five year period from January 2008. Five tumours were radically resected, 9 partially excised. Radiation therapy was advised post-operatively to all patients. There was no post-operative mortality. Three patients developed wound infection. Postoperative clinical assessment between four to eight weeks after surgery showed that 4 out of 14 patients improved, 6 remained unchanged, while 4 had worsening of deficits. Immediate post-operative assessment, however, was less encouraging. The follow up period ranged from 2 weeks to 36 months after discharge from hospital. The indicators of radical excision were good tumour-cord interface, presence of syringomyelia and histology of benign lesions. One patient had recurrence of tumour.