title: Tumors of the cauda equina: the importance of an early diagnosis.
abstract: The natural history of cauda equina tumors was studied in 13 patients. Pain was the most prominent clinical manifestation. Neurological dysfunction mainly consisted of sensory disturbances. The pre-operative course was in 62% three years or longer. A relation was found between the histology of the tumor and the delay of diagnosis: ependymomas were discovered much later than schwannomas. Other histological types of tumors were meningioma, sarcoma and metastasis of a medulloblastoma. The effect of treatment, in nine cases only surgical, was excellent in seven of the 13 patients. The prognosis was determined by histology and length of pre-operative period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: HogenEsch
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Staal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D002420:Cauda Equina; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010524:Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*