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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Spinal cord compression surgery

Introduction

Overview

Overview

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment in localised compression. Emergency radiation therapy (usually 20 Gray in 5 fractions) is the mainstay of treatment for malignant spinal cord compression. It is very effective as pain control and local disease control. Some tumors are highly sensitive to chemotherapy (e.g. lymphomas, small cell lung cancer) and may be treated with chemotherapy alone.

Surgery

Surgery

All the patients with acute spinal cord compression must be admitted. The mainstay of treatment includes surgery for most of the cases except for compression caused by metastasis. The treatment in such cases is mostly palliative. Antibiotics are indicated in cases of compression caused by an epidural abscess.[1][2]

Cause of compression Prefered treatment Adjuvant therapy*
Trauma Decompressive/stabilization surgery of vertebral column +
Disc herniation Laminectomy +
Metastasis Corticosteroids + radiation therapy +
Epidural abscess CT guided aspiration of abscess + Antibiotics +
Adjuvant therapy includes : Maintenance of fluid volume, nutritional status , prevention of stress ulcers , in cases of compression caused by abscess antibiotics are indicated.
References

References

  1. ↑ Tsuzuki S, Park SH, Eber MR, Peters CM, Shiozawa Y (2016). “Skeletal complications in cancer patients with bone metastases”. Int. J. Urol. 23 (10): 825–832. doi:10.1111/iju.13170. PMID 27488133.
  2. ↑ Ropper, Alexander E.; Longo, Dan L.; Ropper, Allan H. (2017). “Acute Spinal Cord Compression”. New England Journal of Medicine. 376 (14): 1358–1369. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1516539. ISSN 0028-4793.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aditya Ganti M.B.B.S. [2]