ABSTRACT

Introduction Spinal cord compression (SCC) is one of the most devasting complications in cancer patients, occurring when a primary or metastatic tumor produces a mass effect on the spinal cord with neurologic deficit. Spinal metastases frequently grow in the posterior part of the vertebral bodies and compress the anterior structures of the cord. Tumors can also arise from the posterior arch, affecting the posterior aspect of the spinal cord. Moreover, paravertebral tumors may invade first the intervertebral foramina and then the spinal canal, producing a posterolateral compression of the spinal cord.