• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.135-138
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• 2008

Objective: This study is to report our experience of 40 cases of spinal schwannoma. Methods: From 1995 to 2006, medical records were retrospectively reviewed in 40 cases of spinal schwannoma. Results: We treated 40 spinal schwannomas in 38 (22 male and 16 female) patients. The mean age was 50.2. Four cases were sited in the cervical spine, 11 cases in the thoracic spine, and 25 cases in the lumbar spine. Two patients showed recurrences. Thirty-eight cases were intradural-extramedullary type and 2 cases were extradural. Two cases (5%) including 1 recurred case had no postoperative motor improvement. Ninety-five percents of patients improved on postoperative motor grade. Conclusion: Spinal schwannoma is mostly benign and extramedullary tumor. There were 2 recurred cases (5%) that had history of previous subtotal removal at first operation and had shown worse prognosis compared with the cases without recurrence. To reduce the recurrence of spinal schannoma, total excision of tumor mass should be done.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제47권6호
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• pp.454-457
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• 2010

Pure ventral midline giant schwannoma is an extremely rare entity. Spinal intradural extramedullary schwannomas commonly occur posterolateral or anterolateral to the spinal cord. A case of a pure midline ventrally situated giant pan cervical extramedullary schwannoma in an 18-year-old male patient with compressive myelopathy and sphincter involvement is presented. Spinal MR imaging showed a midline ventrally situated extramedullary tumor with severe spinal cord compression extending from clivus to C7 vertebra. It was resected through a posterolateral approach. Histology was consistent with a schwannoma. Post operative MR imaging showed no evidence of the tumor. The radiological features, pathogenesis and surgical strategies in management of these difficult tumors are discussed and the relevant literature is briefly reviewed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권7호
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• pp.916-920
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• 2001

Primary melanotic schwannoma in spinal cord is a very uncommon disorder, eight cases of melanotic schwannoma in spinal cord have been found in the literature. We present a case report of a patient with an intradural, extramadullary melanotic schwannoma in cervical spine and the literature on melanotic schwannoma is reviewed. The proposed theories on the origin of these tumors and treatment are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.403-408
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• 2009

A case of spinal intraosseous schwannoma (SIS) in the lumbar vertebra is reported. Clinical and radiologic characteristics of 16 reported cases of SIS were reviewed. SIS can be a rare differential diagnosis for intraosseous tumors.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.137-139
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• 2010

A subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) associated with negative finding on four-vessel angiography is seen in 5 to 30% of patients with intracranial SAH. A previously silent lesion in the spinal canal may be responsible for the angiographically negative finding for cause of intracranial SAH. We report a case of upper cervical (C1-2) intradural schwannoma presenting with acute intracranial SAH. Repeated cerebral angiographic studies were negative, but cervical magnetic resonance imaging study and tissue pathology revealed a intradural-extramedullary schwannoma in C1-2 level. This case illustrates the importance of a high index of clinical suspicion for spinal disease in angiographically negative intracranial SAH patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.105-108
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• 2012

Giant spinal schwannoma of the cauda equine involving many nerve roots is rare, and ossification is usually not observed in the schwannoma. A 21-year-old man presented with a 12-month history of urinary dysfunction and numbness below the buttocks. Plain radiography showed scalloping of the posterior surface of the vertebral bodies from L4 to the sacrum, and magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed a giant cauda equina tumor with dystrophic calcification. The tumor was completely removed, with intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring. Histopathologic examination showed that the tumor was a schwannoma. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, with urinary function and numbness gradually improving. Although a giant schwannoma accompanied by dystrophic calcification is extremely rare, such a tumor can be removed safely and completely by meticulous dissection and careful neuromonitoring of the cauda equina spinal nerves involved in the tumor.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권sup2호
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• pp.356-360
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• 2001

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor(MPNST, primary malignant schwannoma) within the spinal canal is very rare. The prognosis of MPNST in the spinal canal is very poor due to the tendency of perineural spread, dissemination throughout subarachnoid space and local recurrance. This report details the authors' experience on the case of primary malignant spinal schwannoma with review of the literatures and other studies.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제57권6호
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• pp.478-483
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• 2015

We report two rare cases of spinal intraosseous schwannoma (SIS) with sustained myelopathy symptoms and provide an updated review regarding SIS in the literature. A 71-year-old man experienced right lumbocrural pain and gait disturbance accompanied with paresthesia and right leg weakness. Imaging examinations revealed a mass with lesions in L4 vertebral body causing bone destruction and spinal cord compression. Complete resection of the well-demarcated tumor and posterior fusion were performed. A 54-year-old female reported bilateral gait disturbance, paresthesia, and numbness without weakness, and imaging revealed a posterior mass from T9 causing spinal cord compression and bone erosion. The tumor was completely separated from the spinal nerve root. The tumors from both patients were confirmed as schwannomas. Tumor recurrence was not observed at the 2-4 year follow-up. Although rare, SIS should be considered during differential diagnosis and can affect treatment planning. SIS symptoms vary depending on tumor location, and fusion is frequently necessary for spinal reconstruction after complete tumor resection.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.64-67
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• 2010

Although very rare, a few cases of intradural extramedullary (IDEM) spinal tumor migration have been reported since Tomimatsu first reported a mobile schwannoma of the cervical cord in 1974. Schwan noma is a neurogenic tumor which originates from nerve sheath that it is relatively well-marginated tumor with little attachment or adhesion to surrounding tissue. Mobility of tumor in spinal canal sometimes can result in negative exploration at the expected area. We found three interesting cases in which different tumor locations observed in repeated magnetic resonance image (MRI) findings. All tumors were intradural and extramedullary schwannoma. We reviewed the literature about moving tumor in the spine through PUBMED search.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.302-304
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• 2011

Thoracic intramedullary schwannomas are rare spinal cord tumors. Most of these tumors have been reported as a single lesion in the spinal cord. The authors report the first case of intramedullary schwannoma accompanying by extramedullary beads-like daughter masses of the thoracic spine. A 68-year-old male presented with walking disturbance and decreased sensation below T10 dermatome. Imaging workup revealed an intramedullary mass at T6 and T7, T6 and T7 laminectomy and mass removal were performed. Intraoperatively, extramedullary beads-like daughter masses along the nerve roots adjacent to intramedullary mass were identified. Total removal of intramedullary lesion and partial resection of extramedullary masses were done. Histological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of schwannoma. The patient could ambulate independently at postoperative 1 month without any neurological sequelae. The authors experienced a surgical case of intramedullary schwannoma accompanying by extramedullary beads-like same pathologies in the thoracic spine.