Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors

Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors

Credits: 1.00   Post-Assessment Questions:  4

Release Date: 5 Oct 2020
Expiration Date: 13 Oct 2021
Last Reviewed: 13 Oct 2020
Estimated Time To Finish: 60 Minutes

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Activity Description

Tumors in the spine comprise about 15 percent of all central nervous system tumors. They usually are benign and cause symptoms primarily via compression of the spinal cord and nerves. Spinal tumors can be classified into three groups, based on their locations: extradural, intradural-extramedullary, and intramedullary. Extradural tumors are most common, are commonly metastatic, and occupy the vertebrae body or structures outside the dura. Intradural extramedullary tumors are the second most common and come from the leptomeninges or nerve roots. These tumors are located inside the dura, but external to the spinal cord, as exemplified by meningiomas or neurofibromas. The least common are intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCT), which represent 2 to 5 percent of spinal tumors and arise from the spinal cord itself, leading to invasion and destruction of the gray and white matter. Ependymomas and astrocytomas are the most commonly encountered intramedullary spinal cord tumors, followed by hemangioblastomas. Other entities include lipomas, germ cell tumors, gangliogliomas, germinomas, lymphomas, and metastases. This activity reviews the causes and presentation of spinal cord tumors and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in their management.

Target Audience

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of nurses.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the learner will be better able to:

• Identify the etiology of intramedullary spinal cord tumors.
• Describe the presentation of a patient with an intramedullary spinal cord tumor.
• List the treatment and management options available for intramedullary spinal cord tumors.

Author(s) / Contributors Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Each author, editor, faculty and planning committee member have completed a disclosure form indicating that neither they nor their spouse/partner has a financial interest/arrangement or affiliation that could be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest related to the content of this activity.

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT: This activity has received NO commercial support.

Contributors

Hover over the contributor names to see details and disclosures of any financial relationships or relationships they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this continuing education activity.

Authors: Joe M Das
Editors: Fassil Mesfin
Editors-In-Chief: William GossmanDivyesh Nemakayala
Chief Medical Reviewer: Joe M Das
Nurse Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Lisa Haddad
Nurse Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Bernadette Makar
Nurse Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Dorothy Caputo
Pharmacy Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Mark Pellegrini
Physician Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Scott Dulebohn

Continuing Education Accreditation Information

This activity is jointly provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and StatPearls. AKH, Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This activity is awarded 1.00 Contact Hours.

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Instructions for Credit

1. Register for the activity and create a StatPearls login.     
2. Review the required accreditation information:  Target audience, learning objectives and disclosure information.
3. Complete the entire self-study activity.
4. Complete the post-test assessments.
5. Successfully pass the post-test with a minimum score of 100%.
6. Complete the evaluation form.
7. Obtain a certificate.

StatPearls and AKH adhere to ANCC Standards regarding commercial support of continuing nursing education. It is the policy of StatPearls and AKH that the faculty and planning committee disclose real or apparent conflicts of interest relating to the topics of this educational activity, that relevant conflict(s) of interest are resolved and also that authors and editors will disclose any unlabeled/unapproved use of drug(s) or device(s) during their presentation. Detailed disclosure will be made prior to starting the activity.

The information provided at this CNE activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical/clinical judgment of a healthcare provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options of a specific patient’s medical condition.

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