Spinal cord tumors: A review of demographic characteristics and treatment follow-up of patients in Isfahan city, Iran

Abstract

Background: Given that spinal cord tumors cause damage to the central nervous system, the involvement of body organs, patients’ reduced quality of life, and the follow-up of patients should be performed with more sensitivity. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the demographic characteristics and treatment follow-up of patients with spinal cord tumors. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study investigated all patients with spinal cord tumors in 2022 who visited the Kashani Hospital Isfahan. A total of 31 patients were included in the study using the census sampling method. The data were collected by a checklist and three pain scales, namely the Dennis pain scale, the Frankel Grade classification, and Nurick’s grading scales. Results: The present cross-sectional study examined 31 patients with spinal cord tumors who visited the Kashani Hospital in Isfahan. Most spinal cord tumors were ependymoma with nine cases (29%) and neurofibroma with six cases (19.35%). The tumor site was thoracic in 10 cases (33.33%). In the follow-up phase, 31 patients (53.4%) returned to their normal life with full recovery and 10 (17.2%) died. Three (75%) out of four cases of tumor recurrence had ependymoma tumors and one (25%) had astrocytoma. There was a significant difference between the patients’ pre- and post-operative pain severity and functional status as the post-operative scores decreased on all three scales. Conclusion: The results may contribute to improve the pre-operative planning, optimization, and monitoring of the patient’s recovery after the operation.