Journal of neuro-oncology
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Journal of neuro-oncology · Mar 2001
Intramedullary spinal cord astrocytoma in adults: postoperative outcome.
Intramedullary spinal cord astrocytomas are relatively rare and usually low-grade lesions with a long natural history. The rarity of the condition and its indolent clinical course has made the evaluation of treatment efficacy difficult. To clarify postoperative outcome and prognostic factors, we performed a retrospective analysis of intramedullary spinal cord astrocytomas in a single institute. ⋯ The median survivals of irradiated and non-irradiated patients with low-grade astrocytoma were 184 months and 102 months. Neither the extent of resection, nor radiation influenced the survival rate. In summary, the histological grade was the most significant predictor of survival in patients with astrocytoma of the spinal cord.