PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Onen, Mehmet R.
AU  - Simsek, Mehmet
AU  - Naderi, Sait
TI  - Alternatives to surgical approach for giant spinal schwannomas
AID  - 10.17712/nsj.2016.1.20150242
DP  - 2016 Jan 01
TA  - Neurosciences Journal
PG  - 30--36
VI  - 21
IP  - 1
4099  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/21/1/30.short
4100  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/21/1/30.full
SO  - Neurosciences (Riyadh)2016 Jan 01; 21
AB  - Objective: To review the diagnoses and surgical approach characteristics of giant spinal schwannomas (GSS) patients.Methods: We reviewed the preoperative and postoperative radiological and clinical data, and the surgical aspects of 18 GSS patients who underwent surgery in the Department of Neurosurgery, Umraniye Teaching Hospital and Research State Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey between January 2008 and December 2013.Results: There were 15 (83.3%) female and 3 (16.6%) male patients. The age range was 16-70 years (average: 45.8). Average symptom duration was 1.5 months: (range: 1-48). There was local pain in 15 cases, and radicular pain in 6 cases. The GSSs were most frequently located in the lumbosacral area (11 cases, 61.1%). An extraforaminal surgical approach was employed in 7 cases, a posterior approach was employed in 6 cases, a combined anterior transabdominal and posterior approach was employed in 2 cases, a combined posterior and extraforaminal approach was employed in 2 cases, and a retroperitoneal approach was applied in one case. The tumors were completely excised in all cases. The mean follow-up period was 38.5 months (range: 20-68).Conclusion: Giant spinal schwannomas exhibit unique diagnostic and surgical factors. The selection of an appropriate approach significantly influences the success of the treatment.