title: [Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis: is there a place for surgery? Case report and review of literature].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The usual onset of intramedullary spinal cord metastases at an advanced stage of cancer disease explains that surgical removal of such lesions is rarely performed. We tried to define the place for surgery in the management of such lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the observation of a 52-year-old male patient presenting with a metastasis of the conus medullaris revealing a lung cancer. Surgical excision of the lesion led to pain relief and improvement of bladder dysfunction. We present a review of pertinent literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Surgery allows histological diagnosis in case of isolated, revealing tumor. In other selected cases, radical removal of intramedullary metastases could improve the quality and comfort of life although it does not seem to affect the duration of survival.
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurochirurgie, HIA du Val-de-Grâce, 74, boulevard de Port-Royal, 75005 Paris. tfaillot@noos.fr
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Faillot
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roujeau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dulou
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chedru
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007679:Kidney Medulla / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001745:Urinary Bladder Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology