Spinal cord compression surgery
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Spinal Cord Compression Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Case Studies |
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Spinal cord compression surgery On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Spinal cord compression surgery |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Spinal cord compression surgery |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Surgery is indicated in localised compression as long as there is some hope of regaining function. It is also occasionally indicated in patients with little hope of regaining function but with uncontrolled pain. Emergency radiation therapy (usually 20 Gray in 5 fractions) is the mainstay of treatment for malignant spinal cord compression. It is very effective as pain control and local disease control. Some tumors are highly sensitive to chemotherapy (e.g. lymphomas, small cell lung cancer) and may be treated with chemotherapy alone.
Surgery
| Cause of compression | Prefered treatment | Adjuvant therapy |
|---|---|---|
| Trauma | Decompressive/stabilization surgery of vertebral column | + |
| Disk herniation | Laminectomy | + |
| Metastasis | Corticosteroids + radiation therapy | + |
| Epidural asbcess | CT guided aspiration of abscess + Antibiotics | + |