title: Surgical management of dumbbell tumors of the cervical spine.
abstract: Twelve patients with benign dumbbell tumors of the cervical spine were treated surgically between March 1991 and July 1994. Gross total resection was achieved in 11 patients, using a single-stage modified posterior midline exposure with laminectomy and complete unilateral facetectomy. This exposure provides contiguous intraspinal, foraminal, and extraforaminal access that extends up to 4 cm from the lateral dural margin. The surgical considerations of these tumors, including the surgical technique, potential spinal instability, vertebral artery, and risk of nerve root injury, are presented.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Institute, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: McCormick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011859:Radiography; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome