Spinal Cord Tumours - Histopathological Study Of 100 Cases.

ABSTRACT

Abstracts Background: To study the distribution of 100 cases of wide range of spinal cord tumours in relation with their locations, age, sex and compare the obtained data with that of other series by different authors. Spinal cord tumours (SCTs) are mostly benign. Intraspinal tumours form 15 % of all CNS tumours. Primary spinal cord tumours (PSCTs) account for 4% of primary CNS tumours. In tumours of spinal cord are included those arising from within substance of spinal cord, leptomeninges, nerve roots, blood vessels and extradural structures and tissues. Methodology: We summarise the data of SCTs encountered over a period of six years received as biopsy from mass or excised mass. The biopsies were studied by paraffin sectioning and routine Hematoxylin-Eosin stain with PAS, Reticulin stains if necessary. Results: Among one hundred cases, 25 were intramedullary, 47 were extra-medullary intradural and 28 were extradural tumours. 85 were primary and 15 were metastatic in nature. Nerve Sheath Tumours (NSTs) 32% and meningioma 22% were most frequent tumours. Conclusion: The present study of 100 SCTs over 6 years revealed that meningioma 22 %, neurilemmoma 19 %, neurofibroma 13 %, ependymoma 12 % and astrocytoma 8 % comprised a large majority of Primary SCTs( PSCTs). 47 % of tumours were extramedullary, 28 % extradural and 25 % intramedullary tumours. 51 % of tumours involved dorsal region, 23 % lumbar and 19 % cervical. The study can contribute to epidemiologic knowledge of SCTs