Endoscopic-Assisted Microsurgical Resection of a Recurrent Conus Medullaris Dermoid Tumor

Christopher Banerjee; Jerrell Fang; Martin J Rutkowski

doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2023.01.060

Endoscopic-Assisted Microsurgical Resection of a Recurrent Conus Medullaris Dermoid Tumor

World Neurosurg. 2023 Apr:172:46. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.01.060. Epub 2023 Jan 23.

Authors

Christopher Banerjee¹, Jerrell Fang², Martin J Rutkowski²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA. Electronic address: chrisbanerjee10@gmail.com.
² Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.

PMID: 36702241
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.01.060

Abstract

Surgery for intramedullary spinal cord tumors presents multiple unique challenges, including the need to operate through a very narrow myelotomy window. In this operative video, we demonstrate the use of the surgical endoscope in an operation performed on a 35-year-old woman. She has a history of conus medullaris dermoid tumor resection, and she presented to us with worsening lower extremity sensory and motor symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 4-cm recurrence of her tumor. After consenting to surgery, she underwent reoperative posterior lumbar approach to resection of her tumor. In our video we demonstrate our use of a surgical endoscope, which allowed us to minimize the extent of our myelotomy and resect tumor rostral and caudal to our myelotomy, thus minimizing the risk of damage to normal spinal cord that is displaced by tumor (Video 1).

Keywords: Conus medullaris; Dermoid; Endoscopic assisted; Intramedullary spinal cord tumor resection; Tumor.

Publication types

Case Reports
Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

Adult
Dermoid Cyst* / diagnostic imaging
Dermoid Cyst* / surgery
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Neurosurgical Procedures / methods
Spinal Cord Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
Spinal Cord Neoplasms* / surgery