We reviewed 14 patients with cervical dumbbell tumor who underwent surgical treatment. They consisted of 7 males and 7 females, and the mean age at surgery was 44.4 years old. They revealed 12 schwannomas and 2 meningiomas.
In 8 patients, the dumbbell tumor was extirpated. In 5 out of the remaining 6 patients, the intra-spinal lesion of the tumor was removed, but anterior extra-spinal lesion, which could not be removed by posterior approach, was left alone. In only 1 patient, the intraspinal lesion located in front of the spinal cord was left alone. Neurological symptoms improved in 12 out of 14 patients, and clinical recovery rate averaged 57.8%. None showed neurological deficit, but 3 cases developed meningitis after surgery.
In the 8 cases with complete extirpation of the tumor, none showed recurrence. However in 3 out of 6 cases, enlargement of the remaining tumor was evidently observed.
In cases of dumbbell tumors where the intra-spinal portion extends to the anterior paravertebral area, both the anterior and posterior approaches should be performed to extirpate the dumbbell tumor.
