title: Spinal schwannoma; analysis of 40 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is to report our experience of 40 cases of spinal schwannoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1995 to 2006, medical records were retrospectively reviewed in 40 cases of spinal schwannoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We treated 40 spinal schwannomas in 38 (22 male and 16 female) patients. The mean age was 50.2. Four cases were sited in the cervical spine, 11 cases in the thoracic spine, and 25 cases in the lumbar spine. Two patients showed recurrences. Thirty-eight cases were intradural-extramedullary type and 2 cases were extradural. Two cases (5%) including 1 recurred case had no postoperative motor improvement. Ninety-five percents of patients improved on postoperative motor grade.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spinal schwannoma is mostly benign and extramedullary tumor. There were 2 recurred cases (5%) that had history of previous subtotal removal at first operation and had shown worse prognosis compared with the cases without recurrence. To reduce the recurrence of spinal schannoma, total excision of tumor mass should be done.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jee Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Hyung Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Je Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Se Hyuk
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae Gon
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Chang Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim