INTRADURAL TUMORS OF THE CAUDA-EQUINA - A SINGLE INSTITUTION REVIEW OF CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS

A retrospective review of 106 cases of intradural tumors of the cauda equina are presented subdivided into 5 groups according to their histo logical characteristics. For each group the clinical course and long-t erm postoperative results were analyzed: it emerged that differential diagnosis between neurinomas. meningiomas or non-tumoral lesions is no t possible based on clinical findings alone and that neuroradiological diagnosis is more accurate when MRI is employed. Long-term prognosis was always favorable with the exception of the group of ependymomas. N evertheless, early diagnosis in the latter group of tumors gives excel lent results because prognosis is apparently directly correlated to th e length of preoperative clinical history.