The spinal column is the central support for your body, keeping you upright while allowing wide-ranging movement and protecting the spinal cord, the central processing system connecting body and brain. Like virtually every other system in the body, the spine can be struck by tumors.
Not all spinal tumors are cancerous, but any kind can be troublesome, given that the structure of the spine has little extra room to contain the overgrowth of cells that make up a tumor, benign or malignant.
Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of spine tumors, Sanjay Khurana, MD, builds his practice as an expert in spine care, studying the latest surgical and non-surgical techniques to deliver the most appropriate care for each patient.
Spine tumors are grouped in several ways, either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). A primary spinal tumor starts growing in the spine, while a secondary spinal tumor starts somewhere else and moves or metastasizes.
Beyond these divisions, there are two additional divisions by type. Tumors have regions, depending on the area within the spine in which they occur. These divisions follow spinal anatomy — tumors can be cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacral.
Another classification based on location depends on where a tumor develops within the cross-sectional anatomy of the spinal column.
Intramedullary tumors are the least common, accounting for about 5% of cases, and grow inside the spinal cord. Certain intramedullary tumors favor different regions of the spine. For example, astrocytomas most often appear in the thoracic region, while ependymomas usually occur in the filum terminale at the bottom of the spinal cord near the sacrum. Common extradural tumors include:
Intradural-extramedullary tumors, accounting for roughly 40% of spinal tumors, occur inside the dura but outside the spinal cord. Most tumors growing in this area are primary and benign though some can become cancerous later. Intradural-extramedullary tumors include:
Extradural tumors occur outside the dura, the thin covering around the spinal cord. About 55% of spine tumors are extradural and primarily metastatic in origin. An occasional exception is a schwannoma, a benign tumor affecting nerve roots that branch off the spinal cord.
Regardless of whether a spinal tumor is benign or malignant, there’s little extra space in the spinal column, and the bony vertebrae limit the amount of tissue a tumor can push out of the way. This can compress the spinal cord, peripheral nerve roots, and local blood vessels.
When these compressions happen, you can experience various symptoms like pain, tingling, numbness, and weak muscles around the site or along the length of an affected nerve’s path.
Every spine tumor is a potential issue, yet many benign tumors are not easy to remove. Dr. Khurana has offices in Marina Del Rey and Manhattan Beach, California. Contact the nearest location to schedule a consultation to discuss your condition today.
