Histopathological and Clinical Examination of Spinal Tumors: A Single-Center Experience and Literature Review

Spinal Tumors -A Single-Center Experience

Abstract

Spinal tumors are distributed across various anatomical compartments and include diverse histopathological subtypes. However, most studies in the current literature focus on a limited range of tumor types or specific subgroups. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of spinal tumors, offering a broader perspective on their clinical and pathological characteristics. We retrospectively reviewed clinical data from patients who underwent surgery for spinal tumors arising from the spinal cord or spinal column between 2010 and 2023. Clinical characteristics such as age, gender, presenting symptoms, histopathological features, tumor location, and anatomical compartment were evaluated. Approximately half of the spinal tumors in our series were located in the extradural compartment. Among these, metastatic tumors accounted for 68% of cases, representing 31% of all spinal tumors. Intradural pathological subtypes, in decreasing order of frequency, were: schwannoma, meningioma, ependymoma, and astrocytic tumors; primary spinal column tumors included chordoma, hemangioma, and chondrosarcoma. Local pain was the most common initial symptom, particularly in ependymomas (47.8%). Motor deficits were most frequently associated with glial tumors (17%). This study demonstrates the broad pathological spectrum of surgically treated spinal tumors. Despite an accelerating diagnostic trend, the findings indicate only a modest increase in the need for surgical intervention in spinal metastases.