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Category:

Spinal Cord Tumors

Specialty: Neurology

Category: Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

Symptoms:
back pain; weakness; numbness or tingling; difficulty walking; loss of bladder or bowel control

Root Cause:
Benign or malignant growths within or near the spinal cord, compressing the cord and nerves.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
MRI with contrast, CT myelogram, and biopsy.

Treatment:
Surgical resection, radiation therapy, chemotherapy for malignant cases.

Medications:
Corticosteroids for symptom relief (e.g., dexamethasone ); chemotherapy agents like cisplatin and etoposide for malignant tumors.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; account for about 15% of central nervous system tumors.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic conditions like neurofibromatosis, von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Varies by tumor type; benign tumors have good outcomes with complete resection, while malignant tumors carry a worse prognosis.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Permanent neurological deficits, paralysis, and recurrence.