Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approaches to the spine are increasingly adopted for intradural pathology. In this setting, they may especially be useful to minimize risk of CSF leakage due to the decreased disruption to paraspinal musculature and minimal dead space. Herein, the authors demonstrate their technique for the resection of an intradural thoracolumbar schwannoma in a 30-year-old woman via an MIS approach using a nonexpandable tubular retractor. Salient points include the use of bayonetted instruments and the technique for dural closure in a small corridor. Indications for this technique are discussed in the context of a series of patients with intradural extramedullary lesions.
Spinal meningiomas represent 25%-45% of intradural spinal tumors and are commonly seen in the thoracic spine. Ventral midline spinal meningiomas in the thoracic spine are challenging lesions to resect given their location in relation to the spinal cord. Resection for symptomatic or growing lesions requires adequate bone removal to limit retraction of the spinal cord. Surgical adjuncts such as intraoperative navigation, robotics, and ultrasound can improve the efficiency of and safety for resection of these lesions. The authors present a case of a complete resection of a ventral thoracic meningioma using a T12 transpedicular approach with robot-assisted navigated pediculectomy and intraoperative ultrasonography.