Surgical Treatment of Intramedullary and Anterior Spinal Angiomas

Abstract

Intramedullary spinal angiomas fed solely or partly by the anterior spinal system have been considered for many years to be not amenable to surgical treatment. Only posterior retromedullary angiomas were operated upon and totally removed. Anterior spinal malformations were sometimes attacked indirectly by intradural ligature of an anterior feeding vessel, especially in the cervical area. However, these surgical attempts were only palliative treatment. Percutaneous embolization was a useful complement to surgery but was not always possible and could not achieve a radical cure for anterior spinal malformations.