title: Primary spinal malignant schwannomas: clinical and prognostic remarks.
abstract: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath spinal tumours are relatively rare. A primary spinal location at onset from the nerve roots is rarely reported in the literature, thus the clinical features and therapeutic results of these spinal malignant tumours are not defined. Six cases of malignant primary spinal schwannomas, 2% of 293 spinal schwannomas operated on in a 38 year period, are reported. Based on an analysis of a limited number of cases, ours and those collected from the literature (21 patients), some suggestions are possible: a) pre-operative clinical presentation and imaging studies are not predictive of malignancy; b) postoperative outcome is poor, especially in patients with von Recklinghausen's disease and after partial removal of the tumour; c) local recurrence and metastases are possible, even after radical surgery and radiotherapy.
authors: Department of Neurological Sciences-Neurosurgery, La Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Celli
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Cervoni
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Tarantino
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Fortuna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010524:Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome