Factors influencing outcome in patients with intramedullary spinal cord tumors undergoing resective surgery

We evaluated whether preoperative functional status influenced surgical outcomes for patients with intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCT). We analyzed whether lower preoperative McCormick scores impacted primary outcomes for 78 consecutive patients with IMSCT of World Health Organization (WHO) grades I and II undergoing tumor resection between 2010 and 2018. Patients averaged 33.6 years of age, 57.5% were male, and lesions predominantly involved the cervical 23 (29.5%) followed by the thoracic spine 19 (24.3%). Over the average follow-up interval of 69.83 months, IMSCTs recurred in 11.5% of patients, with 6.4% showing functional deterioration. At follow-up, 73.5% of patients with a preoperative modified McCormick score of two or one showed better functional improvement. The WHO pathological grades I and II did not significantly influence outcomes for patients with intramedullary spinal cord lesions. However, patients with low preoperative McCormick scores (two or one) demonstrated better functional outcomes.