Stereotactic Irradiation of Neoplasms of Spinal Localization. Literature Review and Experience of N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgical Center. Part 1. Radiosurgical Treatment of Benign Primary Tumors and Vascular Malformations of the Spinal Cord and Spine

Abstract

The emergence of new techniques for stereotaxic irradiation on linear accelerators, the improvement of visualization and navigation systems contributed to the emergence and rapid development of a new direction — extracranial radiosurgery. Today, there is the possibility of precision irradiation with stereotaxic accuracy of various volumetric formations of any, including spinal, localization. One of the promising and popular indications for the using of the radiosurgical method is various primary and metastatic tumors and arteriovenous malformations of the spinal cord and spine. Radiosurgery as well as hypofraction, which consists in accurately delivering of high doses of ionizing radiation to the pathological tissue in one or several fractions, makes it possible to be effective and safe treatment even in cases of radioresistant neoplasms.This article presents the literature data and analyzes the experience of stereotactic irradiation of primary volumetric formations of the spinal cord and spine in the N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgical Center. It is concluded that stereotactic irradiation is highly effective (> 90 %) with a minimum number of complications in spinal cord and spine pathology with long-term follow-up, which allows maintaining the quality of life of patients.