CONUS AND CAUDA EQUINA TUMORS

Course overview

PRIMARY SPINAL CORD TUMORS ARE LESS COMMON THAN METASTATIC SPINAL TUMORS. TUMORS OF THE SPINAL CANAL MAY BE CLASSIFIED IN THREE WAYS DEPENDING ON THE COMPARTMENT IN WHICH THEY ARE FOUND. THE MOST COMMON TUMORS ARISING FROM THE CONUS MEDULLARIS ARE EPENDYMOMA AND ASTROCYTOMA. A METASTATIC LESION WITHIN THE CONUS MEDULLARIS IS POSSIBLE BUT VERY UNCOMMON. THE MOST COMMON TUMOR INVOLVING THE CAUDA EQUINA IS A SCHWANNOMA. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CONUS AND CAUDA EQUINA TUMORS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THESE TUMORS.