title: [Differential diagnosis and operative timing of intramedullary spinal cord tumors].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the differential diagnosis of various kinds of intramedullary spinal cord tumors, and choose the right operative timing.
  
  
  METHODS
  On grading the dysfunction of the movement, an analysis has been made statistically for 147 cases with 160 tumors resected by microneurosurgery and confirmed pathologically. Their neuroimage have been also compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinical manifestations of main kinds of intramedullary spinal cord tumors are not significantly different, but there are certain characteristic features in their neuroimage. The tumors of grade 0 group (normal movement) are obviously smaller than those of other grades groups. The pre- and post-operative grades of motor disturbance show a better, positive linear correlation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI, particularly its enhancement, can differentiate an ependymoma from astrocytoma and hemangioblastoma in most cases. A satisfactory result can be achieved to resect the tumor immediately by using the minimally invasive, microsurgical techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosciences, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100050.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D018325:Hemangioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors