www.neuroscienceforum.org.np

Welcome to the official site of Nepal Journal of Neuroscience


Home
Help/FAQ
Editorial Board
Journal Info
Information for Contributors
Contents by Issue
Call for Papers
Search
JNS Links
Email Alerts
Neuroscience Forum
Contact Us

Patterns of Spinal Tumors in Nepal: A Clinico-radiological Study

Benu Lohani, MD
Department of Radiology and Imaging
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital
Kathmandu, Nepal

Mohan R. Sharma, MS
Division of Neurosurgery
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital
Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract 

   The objective of this study was to analyze the patterns of spinal tumors in a tertiary care hospital in Nepal and to describe their radiological features and pathological diagnosis.

   A total of 77 patients with spinal tumors who underwent surgery at our institution from March 1996 to December 2003 were analyzed. There were 19 cervical, 40 thoracic and 18 lumbosacral lesions. Among the 19 cervical, there were 15 (79%) intradural extramedullary, and 3 (15.8%) extradural lesions and one (5.2%) intramedullary lesion in the operated group. Among intradural extramedullary lesions, neurofibromas (12) were the commonest, followed by schwannoma (2). Only one meningioma was found. Among the 3 extradural lesions, one was hemangioma, one was chondromyxoma and one rhabdomyosarcoma

   In the thoracic group 27 (67.5%) out of 40 were intradural extramedullary lesions and 12(30%) were extradural lesions. Among intradural extramedullary lesions, neurofibromas were the commonest (10 in 40 i.e. 25%), followed by meningiomas (9(36%))and schwannomas (4(16%)). Neurilemoma was the least common neoplasm (2(8%)). The histopathology reports were inconclusive in 2 patients. Among extradural lesions, metastases (6 out of 12) were the commonest. Only one (2.5%) intramedullary lesion (astrocytoma) was operated.

    In the lumbar region, extradural lesions were most common comprising 50% (9 out of 18) in which metastasis topped the list (5 out of 9) followed by 2 lymphoma and 2 giant cell tumor. In the 5 intradural extramedullary lesions, 2 were neurofibromas, 2 were meningiomas and only one was arachnoid cyst. Ependymoma was the only intramedullary lesion at lumbar level, detected in 2 patients. The histopathology was inconclusive in 2 patients. 

   The most common level for spinal tumor was thoracic followed by cervical and lumbar. Both at cervical and thoracic regions intradural
extramedullary lesions were common, whereas extradural lesions were more common in the lumbar region.

   Key Words:  CT, MRI, neurofibroma, spinal tumors