title: Spinal cord tumours in the elderly.
abstract: Spinal cord tumours in patients over 65 years of age are mostly due to metastatic lesions when maximum deficit occurs within eight weeks. Benign tumours have a more chronic progressing course, are mostly in the thoracic region and, unlike younger patients, are overwhelmingly meningiomas. Although uncommon, benign spinal cord tumours should be recognised as a cause of gait deterioration in the elderly patient, as they responde well to surgery.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery