title: Mortality is higher in patients with leptomeningeal metastasis in spinal cord tumors.
abstract: Spinal cord tumors are a rare neoplasm of the central nervous system (CNS). The occurrence of metastases is related to poor prognosis. The authors analyzed one series of metastasis cases and their associated mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical characteristics were studied in six patients with intramedullary tumors with metastases in a series of 71 surgical cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five patients had ependymomas of which two were WHO grade III. The patient with astrocytoma had a grade II histopathological classification. Two patients required shunts for hydrocephalus. The survival curve showed a higher mortality than the general group of patients with no metastases in the CNS (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mortality is elevated in patients with metastasis and greater than in patients with only primary lesions. The ependymomas, regardless of their degree of anaplasia, are more likely to cause metastasis than spinal cord astrocytomas.
authors.affiliation: SARAH Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals, Brasília, DF, Brazil. ricardogepp@zipmail.com.br
authors.forename: Ricardo de Amoreira
authors.initials: Rde A
authors.lastname: Gepp
authors.forename: José Mauro Cardoso
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Couto
authors.forename: Maria Dorvalina da
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Marco Rolando Sainz
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Quiroga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate