A spinal cord tumor is a growth that develops in the spinal canal or the bones of the spine. It may be cancerous or non-cancerous. Tumors that occur in the spinal cord are known as spinal cord tumors and tumors that occur in the spine (vertebrae) bones are known as vertebral tumors. The spinal cord is a long column of nerve fibers that transmit messages to and from the brain.
The spinal cord is surrounded by three protective membranes known as meninges. The tough outer membrane is the dura mater, the middle membrane is the arachnoid membrane, and the innermost membrane is the pia mater. The spinal cord tumors are categorized as per their location of occurrence in the spine.
- Intradural
- Extradural
Intradural tumors occur in the dura mater and further divided into two subcategories
Extramedullary tumors- tumors develop outside the spinal cord or in the nerve roots that extend out from the spinal cord
Intramedullary tumors- these tumors develop in the supporting cells in the spinal cord. Most of the tumors are astrocytomas or ependymomas.
Any kind of spinal tumors or growths can develop severe pain, neurological problems and sometimes paralysis. Spinal tumor of any form can be life threating and cause permanent disability.
Treatment for Spinal Cord Tumors
Treatment for spinal cord tumors may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or medications. If the spinal cord is compressing by developing a tumor, it is recommended to provide high doses of corticosteroids to reduce the swelling. It is good to treat such tumors as soon as possible. Sometimes it requires surgical removal of tumors. Radiation therapy is also used to remove the tumors, if surgery is not possible or tumor is not fully removed by surgery. Recovery depends on the severity of tumors.
Dr.Shyam Sundar Krishnan is one of the prominent doctors providing treatment for spinal cord tumors in India. He has many years of experience in spinal cord surgeries. The hospital has all the latest equipments and facilities to treat spinal code tumors.
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