Address of Corresponding Author

Pediatric Neurosurgery 2005;41:84-87 (DOI: 10.1159/000085161)

  Key Words

• MR imaging
• Spinal lipomas
• Japan

  Abstract

Since its introduction, MR imaging has been easy to perform on all children with lumbosacral cutaneous stigmata, and has enabled the phenomenal refinement of spinal pathology. We investigated the overall outcomes of children with spinal lipomas at the Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health in Osaka, Japan. Between 1991 and 2003, 76 children with a tethered cord underwent a total of 90 surgical procedures at our institutes. Of this cohort, 67 cases had spinal lipomas. The mean age of patients at first operation for asymptomatic lipoma was 22.4 months (range: 1 month to 16 years, trim mean: 10.1 months, mode: 5 months), except 4 cases. The mean total follow-up for the cohort since the first surgical procedure was 7.2 years (trim mean: 7.9 years). Since the introduction of MR imaging, the reoperation rate for symptoms or signs in our series was 16.4% (11 cases). Regarding the 13 subsequent reoperations (2 patients had 2 operations), 3 patients were reoperated on due to multiplication of the lipomas after untethering, 3 due to urologic symptoms and 5 due to orthopedic signs. There were 2 cases who also had to undergo reoperation early due to CSF leakage. Filum and conus lipomas have similar tethering pathologies, but differ in the outcome following surgery. Filum lipomas are benign, and therefore surgery is safe and effective. Conus lipomas are more difficult to manage.

Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

K. Morimoto, MD
Department of Neurosurgery
Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health
Izumi, Osaka 594-1101 (Japan)
Tel. +81 725 56 1220, Fax +81 725 56 5682, E-Mail fr8kmrmt@mch.pref.osaka.jp

  Article Information

Received: June 17, 2004
Accepted after revision: November 28, 2004
Number of Print Pages : 4
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 8