Complex Surgeries (Tumors)

Dr. Walid Attia performed more than 350 surgeries for tumors in the spine, including those in the bones and some in the nerves.

What are spinal tumors?
It is an abnormal mass of tissue that grows and multiplies out of control in or around the spinal cord or spine. It is not subject to the mechanisms that control the growth of normal cells in the body. These tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Types of spinal tumors

Spinal tumors are divided based on the mechanism of their development into:
Primary or primary spinal tumors:
These are tumors that arise from the spine itself. They are relatively rare and usually benign, and they represent a small percentage of spinal tumors.
Secondary spinal tumors:
These are cancerous tumors that have spread to the spine from cancers in other areas of the body, such as lung, prostate, and breast cancers.

Secondary spinal tumors represent 90% of diagnosed cases.

Tumors may also spread to the spine from multiple myeloma, lymphomas, skin cancer, or sarcomas, and they may also spread from cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and thyroid.

Spinal tumors can also be divided based on where they appear:

Extramedullary intradural tumors
Extramedullary intradural tumors are located within the thin covering of the spinal cord (dura) but outside the spinal cord.
Most of these tumors arise in the arachnoid covering the spinal cord and are called meningiomas, or in the nerve roots that extend from the spinal cord such as schwannoma. They may also arise at the base of the spinal cord.
Meningiomas are often benign, but they can be difficult to remove and may come back. Nerve root tumors are also benign, although they may turn into malignant tumors over time. Also, tumors at the base of the spinal cord may be large and difficult to remove due to the sensitive nature of the delicate nerve structure in this area.

Tumors within the spinal cord
Intraspinal tumors are one of the types of spinal tumors that grow within the spinal cord itself and arise specifically from the cells that provide insulation and physical support for the nervous system called neuroglia.
This type of spinal tumor usually appears in the cervical vertebrae (neck) and is often benign, but operations to remove these tumors may be difficult. Astrocytomas and ependymomas are the most common types of tumors within the spinal cord.
Lipomas may develop within the spinal cord, which are rare congenital tumors that arise from birth and are often located in the thoracic region of the spinal cord.

Extradural tumors
Extradural tumors are located outside the protective layer of the spinal cord (dura). These tumors often occur as a result of the spread of another cancer, or arise from schwannomas derived from cells covering nerve roots. Sometimes the extradural tumor may extend through the hole between the vertebrae, becoming part of it inside the spinal canal and part outside it.

Extradural tumors may also arise from the vertebrae or bones and are called vertebral tumors.