POSTEROLATERAL APPROACH TO INTRADURAL EXTRAMEDULLARY THORACIC TUMORS

Six ventrally located intradural thoracic tumors were successfully res ected through the posterolateral approach. This approach allows direct visualization of the ventral and dorsal boundaries of the tumor with minimal manipulation of the spinal cord. Compared to the traditional l aminectomy, the operative time is increased but visualization of the t umor and spinal cord is markedly improved. Compared to the transthorac ic approach, the posterolateral approach has fewer potential complicat ions and eliminates the necessity of vertebrectomy. Neurological impro vement occurred in all six patients. It is believed that this approach offers significant advantages for the treatment of ventrally located intradural thoracic tumors, and should be considered an alternative to the transthoracic approach.