title: [Spinal cord metastasis: an uncommon location. Experience in 2 cases].
abstract: Spinal cord metastases are an uncommon secondary location of a malignant neoplasm. They are rarely diagnosed during life and when that is the case, it is in the clinical setting of a disseminated cancer and very seldom as the first clinical manifestation. We report two patients, with no previous disease, who developed a progressive myelopathy. An intramedullary spinal cord tumor was diagnosed, based on the clinical picture and imaging studies. They were operated and biopsies showed spinal cord metastases whose primary tumor was a lung neoplasm. We discuss the clinical features in these patients, the diagnosis of progressive myelopathy in cancer patients, treatment and prognosis of this unusual secondary cancer location.
authors.affiliation: Departamentos de Neurocirugía y Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. gtorrealba@mi-mail.cl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Torrealba
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Del Villar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barzallo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerjman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yánez
mesh_terms: D018262:Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*