Operative Treatment of Spinal Angioblastomas

Abstract

The first report in the literature of the disorder that has come to be known as von Hippel-Lindau’s Disease (multiple angiomatosis of retina, CNS, and viscera) was published by Hughlings Jackson in 1872 (Jackson, 1872). In 1879 Panas and Rémy published the first anatomical description of the retinal lesion (Panas and Rémy, 1879), although this is usually incorrectly attributed to Fuchs (Fuchs, 1882). Collins described the histology in 1894 and also noted the familial character of the disease (Collins, 1894). In 1904 von Hippel, unaware of Collins work, published the article which has caused his name to be associated with the retinal lesion, and in 1911 he concluded that the primary retinal lesion was a hemangioblastoma (von Hippel, 1904; 1911). In 1926 Lindau first described the association of cystic angiomas of the cerebellum with the “angiomatosis retinae” of von Hippel; Lindau further noted that both were associated with visceral tumors and cysts (Lindau, 1926). He also described 4 cases of spinal cord angioma associated with cerebellar tumor (Lindau, 1931). Cushing and Bailey in 1928 defined these neoplasms as hemangioblastomas and distinguished them from arterio-venous malformations (Cushing and Bailey, 1928). In 1929 Möller proved the genetic character of the disease (Möller, 1929). Roussy and Oberling in 1931 suggested the name angioreticuloma for these tumors; the term is synonymous with hemangioblastoma (Roussy and Oberling, 1930; Melmon and Rosen, 1964; Minckler, 1971). In 1943 Wyburn-Mason published his excellent monograph describing the 47 cases of spinal hemangioblastoma in the world literature at the time (Wyburn-Mason, 1943). His monograph remains the classic work on the subject. Another excellent monograph was published in 1975 by Hurth et al. (1975) [in French].