METASTATIC CARCINOMA OF THE SPINE WITH NEUROLOGIC COMPLICATIONS - AN AUTOPSY REVIEW

We conducted post-mortem examinations on 12 patients who had documente d metastatic carcinoma to the spine with attendant neurologic complica tions. The examinations were studied to determine the location of the metastatic lesion in relation to the spinal cord. Both gross and micro scopic examinations were performed, with particular attention to the l evel of compression. The majority of the metastatic tumors involved th e vertebral body and pedicles anterior to the spinal cord. The finding s of this autopsy review support previous surgical findings, and re-em phasize the importance of considering tumor location before treating c ompression of the spinal cord secondary to metastatic carcinoma.