Spinal Extramedullary Tumours
Victor Horsley is credited for being the first to successfully remove an intradural extramedullary spinal tumour. Since then, numerous advances in diagnosis and surgical techniques have resulted in a drastic reduction of the morbidity and mortality associated with these tumours. The frequency of occurrence of these tumours in adults is about 10% of similar intracranial tumours, while they are infrequent in children. Nerve sheath tumours (neurofibromas and schwannomas/. and meningiomas form the bulk of the Nerve sheath tumours (hitherto generally tumours seen. Ner referred to in this chapter as neurofibromas) are seen commonly with equal proportion in males and females between the third and fifth decades. They may be associated. betwe with neurofibromatosis or may occur sporadically. Classically, neurofibromas in patients with neurofibromatosis Classi present t as a fusiform enlargement of the nerve, making it necessary to sacrifice the nerve root for a complete excision. On the other hand, most schwannomas originate from sensory only, are generally attached to the root of origin by a few fascicles, making it possible to save the majority of the root while excising the tumour
