Histologic Differentiation of Recurrent Multisegment Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors

Aim:Aim of this prospective study was to determine the occurrence of histologic differentiation tendency of recurrent multisegment intramedullary spinal cord tumors (MSICTs). Methods:The improved JOA scoring system and the grading for urine and stool conditions were used to evaluate preoperative and postoperative neurological functions of patients. The extent of resection was classified into grades of I to IV. The histologic classification and grading of tumors were determined by a blinded neuropathologist with hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining. Results:Five patients suffering from recurrent MSICTs were all male. The neurological function of the patients with recurrent MSICTs was worse than during their primary presentation. The extent of resection of the first operation affected the recurrence-free survival time for patients. Extensive surgical resection correlates with longer duration before recurrence. The extent of resection was determined by histologic type and infiltrative characteristics of tumor during the first operation. The recurrence-free survival time correlates with histologic grading of the recurrent tumor. Moreover, the shorter the time before relapse, the worse the neurological function was observed preoperatively for patients with recurrent tumor. Conclusions:The histologic differentiation of the recurrent MSICT depends on the nature of the residual seeds of the primary tumor, which in turn affects the recurrence-free survival time.