TUMORS IN THE VICINITY OF FORAMEN MAGNUM / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

A series of 12 cases of tumors located in the vicinity of foramen magnum are reported. Among them 4 were cranio-spinal type and 8 spino-cranial type. Pathologically 4 were neuofibromas,3 meningio-mas, 2 lipomas, 1 astrocytoma, 1 ependymoma and 1 chordoma. Most patients manifested upper cervical nerve root symptoms. In the cranio-spinal type, impairment of IX X XI XII cranial nerves and slight pyramidal symptoms were often seen.In spino-cranial type, paralysis and loss of sensation were promi-nant.Lumbar puncture and Queckenstedt test were done in 8 cases, and in 7 cases there was obstruction of spinal canal. CT scans of the cranium and upper cervical region were performed in 12 cases, and in 11 cases space-occupying lesions were revealed. CT scan was negative in one patient, and the diagnosis was established by amipaque meylography. Operations were done in all cases. In 2 cases belonging to craniospinal type, tumors were totally removed, and in other 2 cases tumors were subtotally removed. In four cases of extramedullary spino-cranial type, tumors were tollally removed. In 4 cases of intramedullary tumors, only in one case the tumor (ependymoma) was totally removed by CUSA. There was no operative mortality in this series. The diagonsis, differential diagnosis and operative technics were discussed.