Spinal Angiomas : Advances in Diagnosis and Therapy

The rapid development of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in the management of spinal angiomas has opened up new possibilities and provided better chances for the patients concerned. The greatest impetus to this pro- gress was given by the introduction of selective and superselective spinal angiography, microsurgical technique, and embolization. These sophisticated techniques and the skill required for their use are far from being routine in the neurosurgical and neuroradiologic departments. In spite of the rarity of spinal angiomas, the application of the above-mentioned procedures is the prerequisite for improving early diagnosis and giving timely adequate treat- ment. Delay in diagnosis and treatment are still the main cause of unsatisfac- tory results. In the last 10 -20 years, several groups in Europe and the USA have done important and fundamental work in introducing and developing the diganos- tic and therapeutic armamentarium. Based on the pioneering work of their teachers and the classic contribution of Wyburn - Mason in 1943, they simultaneously improved the morphologic, physiologic, and clinical basis of our knowledge. Although progress is going on and many problems have to be solved, the general principles of clinical diagnosis, operative treatment, and embolization have been laid down and are to be published in a special monograph on this topic.