[Minimally invasive surgical treatment of extramedullary tumors at the level of craniovertebral junction: experience of the Burdenko Neurosurgical Center]. / Minimal'no invazivnoe khirurgicheskoe lechenie patsientov s ekstramedullyarnymi opukholyami na urovne kraniovertebral'nogo perekhoda: opyt NMITs neirokhirurgii im. akad. N.N. Burdenko.

OBJECTIVE: To describe own experience of treating patients with extramedullary tumors at the level of craniovertebral junction using minimally invasive surgical approaches. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 29 patients who underwent minimally invasive microsurgical resection of extramedullary tumors at the level of craniovertebral junction. We analyzed the main clinical and surgical parameters. RESULTS: Gross total resection was achieved in most patients with high degree of safety. Two patients required redo surgery due to CSF leakage and soft tissue cyst. Mean length of hospital-stay was 7 days. VAS score of pain syndrome at discharge was 2 points and 0 points after 3 months. No significant differences in neurophysiological monitoring indicators were observed (p=0.76). CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive posterior approaches to extramedullary tumors at the level of craniovertebral junction can significantly reduce surgical trauma with equal extent of resection.

[Laser fluorescence spectroscopy and navigation in surgical treatment of spinal tumors: a systematic review]. / Primenenie lazernoi flyuorestsentnoi spektroskopii i navigatsii pri khirurgicheskom lechenii opukholei spinnogo mozga i pozvonochnika: sistematicheskii obzor literatury.

The main problem in microsurgical resection of spinal cord tumors is excessive surgical aggression. The last one often leads to unsatisfactory clinical and neurological outcomes. Laser fluorescence spectroscopy is a modern neurosurgical approach to distinguish tumor boundaries even if standard visible fluorescence techniques are ineffective. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of laser fluorescence spectroscopy alone or in combination with visual 5-ALA fluorescence for improvement of safety and quality of resection, as well as intraoperative diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Searching for literature data was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA recommendations. The authors reviewed articles independently of each other. These data were systematized. RESULTS: Laser fluorescence spectroscopy is valuable to identify fragments of intramedullary ependyomas in 86% of cases, while visual fluorescence only in 81% of cases. Advisability of this technique for low-grade astrocytomas is still unclear and requires further study. Its effectiveness is 87.5% for extramedullary meningiomas. Neuromas do not accumulate 5-ALA. In addition, this method can be used to determine the boundaries of intradural metastatic lesions. CONCLUSION: 5-ALA fluorescence is a safe and useful intraoperative method for identifying tumor tissue and resection margins in patients with intramedullary or infiltrative extramedullary spinal cord tumors. Visual fluorescence combined with laser spectroscopy is a perspective method for intraoperative visualization of tumor remnants. This approach can improve safety and postoperative outcomes while maintaining resection quality.

[Long-term postoperative outcomes in patients with lumbosacral spine synovial cysts]. / Analiz otdalennykh rezul'tatov khirurgicheskogo lecheniya patsientov s sinovial'nymi kistami fasetochnykh sustavov poyasnichno-kresttsovogo otdela pozvonochnika.

Searching of literature data revealed only a few reports devoted to long-term postoperative outcomes in patients with lumbosacral spine synovial cysts. These results are ambiguous and largely contradictory. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the long-term postoperative outcomes in patients with lumbosacral spine synovial cysts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was performed between January 2015 ando September 2022. The study included patients who underwent surgical treatment for lumbosacral spine synovial cysts with clinical and neurological manifestations. There were 94 medical records of respondents (36 (38.3%) men and 58 (61.7%) women aged 18-82 years). Mean postoperative follow-up period was 24.6±7.5 months. RESULTS: Patients underwent various surgical interventions for synovial cysts. VAS scores of pain syndrome after 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 postoperative months revealed significant pain relief in the lower back and extremities (p<0.01). In long-term follow-up period, we observed significantly lower disability (Oswestry Disability Index) (p<0.001). Adverse postoperative events occurred in 9 (9.6%) cases. CONCLUSION: Interlaminectomy with cyst wall resection and preservation or partial resection (no more than 1/3) of facet joint without segmental fusion is an effective and preferable surgical method with minimal incidence of adverse clinical events.

[Laser fluorescence spectroscopy in surgical treatment of intramedullary tumors: experience of the Burdenko Neurosurgery Center]. / Primenenie lazernoi fluorestsentnoi spektroskopii pri khirurgicheskom lechenii intramedullyarnykh opukholei: opyt FGAU «NMITs neirokhirurgii im. akad. N.N. Burdenko¼.

One of the important problems in microsurgical resection of intramedullary spinal cord tumors is excessive surgical aggression and subsequent neurological impairment. Laser fluorescence spectroscopy with electrophysiological monitoring provides high-quality resection of intramedullary tumors with monitoring of spinal cord structures in real time. This approach increases safety and quality of resection. OBJECTIVE: To analyze efficacy of fluorescence navigation technique and laser fluorescence spectroscopy in surgical treatment of various spinal cord tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were more than 1000 patients with intramedullary spinal cord tumors between 2001 and 2022. Intraoperative fluorescence navigation with laser spectroscopy was used in 47 cases. All patients underwent examination before and after surgery. We analyzed somatic, neurological and functional status (McCormick scale). MRI of the spinal cord and intraoperative fluorescence spectroscopy (OPMI Pentero 900 microscope with a fluorescent module, Carl Zeiss, Germany) were performed. To induce visible fluorescence, we used 5-ALA-Alasens (NIOPIK, Russia). Laser spectroscopy was carried out on a LESA-01-BIOSPEC analyzer (Biospec JSC, Russia). Morphological analysis of intramedullary spinal cord tumors was carried out in the laboratory of neuromorphology of the Burdenko Neurosurgery Center. RESULTS: In our sample, fluorescence navigation and laser fluorescence spectroscopy were used only in surgical treatment of intramedullary tumors. Laser fluorescence spectroscopy was valuable to identify fragments of intramedullary ependymoma and astrocytoma in 86% of cases, visual fluorescence - only in 81% of cases. Advisability of this technique for low-grade astrocytomas is unclear and requires further study. CONCLUSION: Visual fluorescence combined with laser spectroscopy is a promising method for intraoperative imaging of tumor remnants. This approach can improve safety, quality and results of surgical treatment.

[Intramedullary cervical abscess: a case report and literature review]. / Intramedullyarnyi abstsess sheinogo otdela spinnogo mozga: klinicheskii sluchai i obzor literatury.

Intramedullary abscesses of the spinal cord are the rarest form of infectious lesions of the central nervous system. We report surgical treatment of a patient with intramedullary cervical abscess caused by L. monocytogenes. Features of this case are absence of primary purulent focus and atypical infectious agent. The patient underwent surgical treatment for intramedullary cervical abscess and subsequent antimicrobial therapy. Subtotal regression of neurological symptoms was noted in early postoperative period. The authors emphasize strict collegial decision-making regarding diagnosis of this disease and choice of optimal treatment strategy.

[Benign extramedullary spinal cord tumors at the level of craniovertebral junction: a systematic review]. / Dobrokachestvennye ekstramedullyarnye opukholi spinnogo mozga na urovne kraniovertebral'nogo perekhoda: sistematicheskii obzor.

Extramedullary spinal cord tumors at the level of craniovertebral junction are a rare group of neoplasms with their own characteristics. Taking into account the peculiarities of clinical course and complex anatomy of craniovertebral complex, these tumors present a complex diagnostic and surgical problem. A systematic review of literature data on epidemiology, clinical picture, diagnostic methods and dorsal minimally invasive methods of surgical treatment of patients with extramedullary spinal cord tumors of craniovertebral junction was performed.

[Intraoperative computed tomography and modern navigation in surgical treatment of spine and spinal cord diseases]. / Opyt primeneniya intraoperatsionnogo spiral'nogo komp'yuternogo tomografa i sovremennoi sistemy navigatsii v khirurgicheskom lechenii zabolevanii pozvonochnika i spinnogo mozga.

Surgical treatment of spine and spinal cord diseases is one of important objectives in modern neurosurgery. Patient safety is a priority in spine and spinal cord surgery. Intraoperative imaging ensures efficacy and safe surgery with and without stabilization, preoperative marking, control of decompression and correct implant placement. Surgical C-arms and intraoperative cone-beam CT scanners are the most widespread in everyday practice. The latest achievement was intraoperative spiral computed tomography. C-arms and CT scanners with intraoperative navigation increase the efficiency and safety of surgical interventions.

[Intraoperative video-angiography in surgery for spinal intramedullary cavernous malformations: first experience of its application at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Center]. / Intraoperatsionnaia videoangiografiia v khirurgii intramedulliarnykh kavernoznykh mal'formatsii spinnogo mozga: pervyi opyt ispol'zovaniia v FGAU 'Natsional'nyi meditsinskii issledovatel'skii tsentr neirokhirurgii im. akad. N.N. Burdenko'.

Spinal intramedullary cavernous malformations are a rare vascular pathology of the central nervous system. They account for 3-5% of spinal cord diseases. The clinical picture in patients with cavernous malformations varies from an asymptomatic course to gross neurological deficit in the case of bleeding from a malformation. Due to the lack of reliable methods for predicting the development of bleeding, the need for surgical treatment of asymptomatic patients remains a relevant and open topic for discussion. The goal of surgical treatment of cavernous malformations is to minimize the risk of repeated hemorrhages and gross neurological deficits in patients. Intraoperative indocyanine green video angiography is a promising technique for intraoperative visualization of the size and adherence area of a cavernous malformation to the spinal cord tissue. This increases the radicality of cavernous malformation resection and minimizes intraoperative risks for the patient.

[Surgical treatment of intramedullary-extramedullary ependymomas. Two clinical cases and a literature review]. / Khirurgicheskoe lechenie intra-ékstramedulliarnykh épendimom. Dva klinicheskikh nabliudeniia i obzor literatury.

Ependymoma is a central nervous system tumor that grows from ependymal cells lining the cerebral ventricles, central canal of the spinal cord, and filum terminale. Regardless of the histological type of ependymomas, they rarely have exophytic growth. Because of an extremely low occurrence rate of this phenomenon, we present two clinical cases of patients with classical intramedullary ependymomas (Grade II) having an extramedullary component. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The paper presents two clinical cases of patients with intramedullary-extramedullary ependymomas of the spinal cord. The surgical technique is described. After surgical treatment, the performance status of patients remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: Radical removal of complex ependymomas provides conditions for long-term disease-free survival and further neurological recovery.

[Spinal stroke in a pregnant female with an endodermal cyst of the cervical spinal cord (a case report and literature review)]. / Ostroe narushenie spinal'nogo krovoobrashcheniya u beremennoi s endodermal'noi kistoi sheinogo otdela spinnogo mozga (sluchai iz praktiki i obzor literatury).

AIM: The study purpose was to present a clinical case of spinal stroke in a pregnant female, which was caused by an endodermal cyst of the cervical spinal cord, and to analyze treatment tactics. RESULTS: A 20 week pregnant female presented with acute transverse spinal cord injury at the of C3-C5 spinal segment level. CT revealed an extramedullary space-occupying lesion in the ventrolateral position, with compression of the spinal cord at this level. The patient in the state of progressive deterioration with respiratory failure was transferred to the Neurosurgical Institute on the 5th day after disease onset. The patient underwent surgery on the 7th day after disease onset. Doctors of various specialties participated in preparation for surgery. During surgery, total resection of the space-occupying lesion and spinal cord decompression were performed. An obstetrician-gynecologist conducted intraoperative fetal monitoring by ultrasound. The histological diagnosis was an endodermal cyst. There was no improvement of neurological symptoms in the early postoperative period. After stabilization of the condition, the patient was discharged for follow-up care at the place of residence. According to the follow-up report, the patient underwent the cesarean section because of exacerbation of lung infection and a significant delay in the fetal development. After a few days, the patient died due to multiple organ failure. The child was alive, in serious condition, under mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSION: In the case of spinal stroke, the decision on treatment tactics should be made no later than 12 hours after its onset; otherwise, the outcome is usually unfavorable, and a neurological deficit is irreversible. The decision about continuing pregnancy should be made individually in each case, and an approach to the choice of appropriate treatment tactics should be multi-disciplinary.

[Extradural spinal cord hemangioblastoma (a case report and literature review)]. / Ekstradural'naya gemangioblastoma spinnogo mozga (sluchai iz praktiki i obzor literatury).

Hemangioblastoma is a rare CNS vascular tumor that develops sporadically and can also be associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease. Hemangioblastomas account for 2-6% of all spinal cord tumors and are ranked third in the structure of intramedullary space-occupying lesions of the spinal cord. For the first time in our practice, we observed a dumbbell paravertebral hemangioblastoma. The international literature reports only 3 cases of the tumor with this growth type.

[The use of intraoperative neuroimaging tools and a navigation system in surgical treatment of primary and metastatic tumors of the spine].

INTRODUCTION: Surgical treatment of spinal tumors is associated with a high risk of intraoperative complications, including injury to the spinal cord, its roots, and large vessels both during tumor resection and at the stabilization stage during implantation of pedicular or corporal screws. The use of intraoperative neuroimaging tools and a navigation system in surgical treatment of oncological diseases of the spine enables identifying the location and extension of a tumor lesion directly in the operating room, which provides control of the resection area and the possibility of the spine stabilization under disturbed anatomy conditions when bone density is altered by the osteolytic process or systemic changes. Also, the risk of injury to the major blood vessels is reduced. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Surgical treatment of 156 patients with primary and metastatic tumors of the spine was performed at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute in the period from 2002 to December 2014. Twelve patients underwent diagnostic intervention (transcutaneous biopsy), and 35 patients underwent surgery using intraoperative CT and a navigation systems. The indication for biopsy using both CT and the navigation system was the presence of a spinal tumor not verified by a pathomorphological examination. An O-arm intraoperative computed tomography scanner and a Medtronic's StealthStation S7 Navigation System were used in all cases. CONCLUSION: The use of both CT and the navigation system provides high quality treatment and significantly reduces radiation exposure to the medical personnel and patient. The possibility of intraoperative identification of the location and extension of a tumor in bone tissue facilitates adequate tumor resection within the intact surgical margin, with the surrounding vessels and neurological structures being under real-time control.

[Postoperative applications of the fast track technology in patients with herniated intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral spine]. / Primenenie tekhnologii bystrogo vosstanovleniya posle khirurgicheskikh vmeshatel'stv u patsientov s gryzhami mezhpozvonkovykh diskov poyasnichno-kresttsovogo otdela pozvonochnika.

TOPICALITY: The fast track technology means a complex of targeted measures involving rational preoperative preparation, minimally invasive surgery, regional anesthesia and short-acting anesthetics, and early postoperative rehabilitation. Elucidating the possibility of applying the fast track technology in neurosurgery, in particular in spinal surgery, is extremely topical. This is associated with the epidemiological data and the fact that minimally invasive techniques used in neurosurgery are highly expensive. AIM: The study objective was implementation of the fast track technology and subsequent analysis of its use after surgery in patients with herniated intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral spine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The fast track technology following spinal surgery was implemented at the Clinical Hospital of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation and the Neurosurgical Department of the Clinical Hospital № 1 of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation using an algorithm of technology application. The study included 48 patients who underwent surgical treatment for herniated intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral spine between January and July 2015. RESULTS: An analysis of pain severity using the Visual Analog Scale demonstrated a slight decrease (10%) in a group of patients who were subjected to the fast track technology, at discharge and at 1 month after surgery; there was no difference in longer follow-up. An analysis of the functional status using the Oswestry index and Roland-Morris scale demonstrated that patients of the study group had faster and more efficient recovery and an improvement of the functional activity by 20% (p<0.05) compared to those in the control group. An analysis of patient-reported assessment of treatment quality revealed that indicators, such as awareness and pain control, in the study group were highest and amounted to 95% and higher. An analysis of the hospital stay duration showed a decrease in the number of bed-days in an integrated group by 39%, which saved 34 bed-days. CONCLUSION: The fast track technology reduces the degree of surgical aggression, increases surgery safety, and decreases the number of intraoperative complications and hospital stay duration.

[Modern treatments for degenerative disc diseases of the lumbosacral spine. A literature review]. / Sovremennye metody lecheniia degenerativnykh zabolevanii mezhpozvonkovogo diska. Obzor literatury.

Many researchers consider degenerative diseases of the spine as a pandemic of the XXIst century. Herniated intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral spine occur in 61% of patients with degenerative spine diseases. Of these, 15% of patients have herniated discs at the LII-LIII level, 10% of patients at the LIII-LIV level, and 40% of patients at the LIV-LV and LV-SI levels. A high cost of conservative treatment of degenerative spine disease symptoms and its low efficacy in reducing the intensity and duration of pain necessitate the development of new methods of surgical treatment. In this paper, we analyze the literature data on minimally invasive spine surgery and demonstrate the main advantages of percutaneous endoscopic surgical techniques.

[Vertebrology 2.0: an automatic virtual consultation system].

UNLABELLED: The use of computer information and Internet technologies to solve clinical problems becomes trivial but is still a topical and promising direction closely related to the «Healthcare 2.0¼ concept. The methodology for developing virtual patient consultation systems is associated with the capabilities to process obtained data and optimize the choice of optimal tactics for further treatment, taking opportunities of the Internet. The study objective was to develop an automatic virtual consultation system for patients with spine and spinal cord diseases on the basis of the online vertebrologi.ru portal. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 33 signs with different answer variants were selected for advising. On the basis of these signs, an expert advised more than 170 patients. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: On the basis of consultation analysis, a set of rules was developed to automatically generate a consultation text, depending on selected sign values. Currently, the automatic virtual consultation system, which was developed jointly by the Institute for Systems Analysis, Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute, and Volynskaya Clinical Hospital №1, operates online on the vertebrologi.ru portal as one of its modules.

[Multiple primary liponeurocytoma of the central nervous system].

We report a unique case of primary multiple liponeurocytoma. Liponeurocytoma is a rare benign tumor (Grade II) of the posterior cranial fossa with neural- or probably astrocytic-lineage cells; the tumor stroma contains mature adipocytes. This case is the thirty-eighth case of this pathology reported in the world literature and the first case of multiple form of this disease. We have provided a sufficiently thorough neuroradiological and histological picture that allows one to differentiate between a liponeurocytoma and other histological variants. Recommendations for the tactics for managing patients with this rare disease are proposed based on the analysis of treatment of this pathology reported in the world literature.

[Comprehensive assessment of the outcomes of surgical treatment of patients with metastatic spinal cord injuries].

INTRODUCTION: Every year the number of cancer patients increases due to increased life expectancy. According to various sources, metastases in the spine are found during autopsy in 30-90% of patients with a history of cancer. So far, there have been no full-scale studies of the quality of life of patients with various metastatic tumors of the spine who underwent surgical treatment in Russian literature. The main objective of this study was to demonstrate the need for implementing the comprehensive treatment of patients with metastases in the spine and target setting as the main tool to identify the factors that adversely affect the patients' quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The quality of life of 56 patients aged 16 to 81 years was assessed, including 26 males and 30 females. Twenty-six patients underwent surgical treatment between 2002 and 2009, and thirty patients underwent surgical treatment between 2009 and 2014. Kidney cancer was a primary disease in 30.3% of patients, multiple myeloma was a primary disease in 23.1% of cases, and the primary source of a tumor was not identified in cancer screening in 10.5% of cases. There were also isolated cases of melanoma, thymoma, metastases of tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, uterus, ovary, lung, prostate, pancreas, and the thyroid gland, which on the average amounted to 3.5% (1.8 to 7.14%). The quality of life of patients was studied using the EORTC QLQ C30 scale. The patients were surveyed prior to the surgery and then 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgical treatment during 1 year or until death. Preoperative and postoperative contrast-enhanced SCT and MRI examinations were used to control the extent of decompression of neural structures. RESULTS: On the basis of these findings, the authors identified the main factors affecting the quality of life of patients and formulated a range of treatment goals for patients with metastases in the spine. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment has a positive effect on the quality of life of patients with metastases in the spine. However, it is not a key factor in the context of survival rate of these patients. Therefore, a decision on the possibility and necessity of surgical treatment should be taken in cooperation with the patient and oncologists of different specialties.

[The outcomes of treatment of cauda equina ependymomas in adults].

UNLABELLED: Ependymoma is a rare tumor that accounts for about 4% of all central nervous system tumors. Ependymomas typically have intramedullary localization; however, sometimes the tumor is located outside of the spinal cord and affects the cauda equina nerve roots. OBJECTIVE: To study the outcomes of treatment in patients diagnosed with extramedullary ependymoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty patients (23 males and 27 females) aged 38.7 years (range: 18-76 years) with ependymoma of the cauda equina region were operated on at the 10th Department of the N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute between January 2009 and December 2013. Thirty-six patients were newly diagnosed with tumors. Fourteen patients were admitted to the N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute with recurrent or continued tumor growth. The patients were subdivided into two groups according to this criterion. The outcomes of treatment were evaluated using the Frankel, the Karnofsky, and the VAS scales. The criteria proposed by Kawabata et al. were used to assess the long-term outcomes of surgical treatment. Tumor growth was monitored by contrast-enhanced MRI. RESULTS: Tumors were divided into two subtypes: the encapsulated vs. infiltrative forms. Ependymomas were resected subtotally in 5 patients; continued growth of ependymoma was observed in 3 patients. Positive results were obtained for both groups according to the evaluation performed using the scales. According to the criteria of Kawabata et al., the patients were distributed in a following way: in group 1 patients, the good outcome (class 1) was observed in 26 (72%); the fair outcome (class 2), in 8 (22.5%) patients; while the results were equivocal in 2 (5.5%) patients. A number of patients received radiotherapy as a component of combination treatment. Tumor growth stabilization was achieved. CONCLUSIONS: Microsurgical intervention is obligatory, since it has a positive effect on the outcomes of surgical treatment of extramedullary intradural tumors, including ependymomas of the cauda equina region. Treatment effectiveness decreases for the infiltrative subtype of tumor growth. Radiation therapy should be used if continued tumor growth is detected or degree of tumor resection was subtotal.

[Stereotactic radiotherapy for spinal meningiomas and neurinomas].

INTRODUCTION: Over the past decades, stereotactic conformal radiotherapy of intracranial meningiomas and schwannomas has been recognized as an effective and safe procedure. Due to the wide use of the CyberKnife system and the procedure of extracranial stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery, the positive experience can be used to treat spinal tumors. This study assessed the effectiveness of stereotactic radiaotherapy of spinal meningiomas and neurinomas using the CyberKnife system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 46 patients (34 females and 12 males) received treatment between November 2009 and December 2013 (65 tumor nodules). The median age of patients receiving radiotherapy was 49 years (range: 20 to 82 years). Twenty neoplasms were subjected to surgical treatment. In 11 patients, formation of the recurrent tumor foci following treatment was observed along with the systemic disease, neurofibromatosis. Six patients had multiple meningiomas. The median total dose of radiation therapy of neurinomas was 13.6 Gy (12.1-14.1 Gy) per fraction; up to 18.2 Gy (16.0-21.1 Gy) per three fractions; and up to 25.6 Gy (24.8-27.6 Gy) per five fractions. Higher doses were used for meningiomas: 15.9 Gy (14.1-16.2 Gy) per fraction; 20.9 Gy (19.5-21.1 Gy) per three fractions; and 27.5 Gy (25.0-29.9 Gy) per five fractions. The load to 0.15 cm3 of the spinal cord was no higher than the maximum permissible load of 12 Gy per fraction. The mean catamnestic follow-up was 18.1 (4-52) months: 21,1 (4-52) months for neurinomas and 18 (4-31) months for meningiomas. We have not observed complete tumor elimination (i.e., complete response to radiation therapy) in our series. Partial response was observed in 9 (13.8%) cases; stabilization was achieved in 54 (83.1%) cases; and tumor continued to grow in 2 (3.1%) cases. The patients' status was evaluated using the Frankel, the Karnofsky, and the VAS scales. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings clearly demonstrate the short-term benefits of using CyberKnife radiotherapy for benign spinal cord tumors. The catamnestic follow-up needs to be extended to elaborate recommendations for radiation. The progress in this therapy type will considerably improve the quality of medical care provided to this cohort of patients.

[The use of minimally invasive approaches to resect intradural extramedullary spinal cord tumors].

AIM: To conduct a comparative analysis of outcomes in patients with extramedullary tumors operated on using a minimally invasive approach and traditional laminectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 40 patients (13 males and 27 females) who underwent surgical treatment at the Department of Spinal Neurosurgery of the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute. The mean age of patients was 47 years (range: 41-60 years). Tumors were located in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. All patients were divided into two groups. In the control group, 20 patients underwent traditional laminectomy using a yard retractor or an Egorov-Freidin retractor. In the study group, 20 patients underwent hemilaminectomy using a retractor for minimally invasive surgery (Caspar and MAST Qudrant). The outcomes were evaluated 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. The McCormik and VAS scales were used for the evaluation. MRI data were also evaluated. RESULTS: Total tumor resection was reached in all cases. The mean surgery duration was 247 min (range: 180-320 min) for the first group and 105.25 min (range: 60-190 min) for the second one. The volume of blood loss was 297 mL (range: 100-600 mL) for the first group and 210 mL (50 to 400 mL) for the second group. The histological nature of the tumors was as follows: neurinoma, meningioma, and ependymomas of the cauda equina. The evaluation of the pain syndrome in the early postoperative period revealed that the pain syndrome intensity according to VAS was reduced in patients of the second group compared to that in patients of the first group. The evaluation using the McCormik scale revealed no obvious difference in the results between the study and control groups. MRI studies performed in the postoperative period showed no tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of patients with intradural extramedullary tumors can be safely and effectively performed using minimally invasive approaches. A potential reduction in surgery duration, intraoperative blood loss, the amount of anesthetic drugs and reduction in the pain syndrome in the early postoperative period allow us to conclude that, when performed by an experienced surgeon, the method of minimally invasive surgery may be an alternative to the traditional removal of an extramedullary tumor.