Resection of relevant nerve roots in surgery of spinal neurinomas without persisting neurological deficit

Abstract

In 42 patients with a spinal neurinoma or neurofibroma, resection of the affected nerve root was necessary in 24 cases for complete removal of the tumour. In 10 of these the resected nerve root was relevant for upper or lower limb function. Of this subgroup of 10 patients with a resection of a relevant motor root, only 4 showed an initial slight impairment of motor function, which was followed by complete recovery in two cases by the time of discharge from hospital. A persisting relevant motor impairment was not observed in any case. Recommendations given in the literature for the resection of spinal neurinomas vary from radical resection to strict microsurgical resection with preservation of as much of the nerve root as possible. This report together with the publication of Kim et al. suggests, that radical resection is possible without neurological deficit, if microsurgical preservation of unaffected nerve fibres is impossible or if the risk of recurrence is judged to be unduly high.