What are the obvious symptoms of spinal tumor

Spinal tumor refers to a tumor occurring in the spinal area, which is divided into primary and secondary tumors. The vast majority of spinal tumors are benign tumors, and the incidence of malignant tumors in young and middle-aged people is relatively high. When a spinal tumor occurs, it often causes pain and local lumps. More severe cases can also cause spinal deformity, neurological dysfunction, etc.

1. Pain

It is the most common and main symptom in patients with spinal tumors. In 80% to 95% of primary spinal tumors, pain is the first symptom and sometimes the only symptom at the time of diagnosis. It mainly includes pain caused by tumors and mechanical pain. The pain is usually more severe at night and can be relieved by activity during the day.

2. Localized lumps

Because spinal bone tumors mostly occur in the vertebral bodies, which are located deep and difficult to find on the body surface, patients with lumps as the first manifestation are uncommon. These tumors are mainly seen in the cervical spine or the posterior accessory structures of the spine. The lumps of malignant spinal tumors grow rapidly and often compress the surrounding tissues, so local pain and discomfort are common. Metastatic spinal tumors are often discovered before they form larger masses due to the existence of primary lesions, the fact that metastatic tumors are generally more malignant, grow more rapidly, and are more likely to induce spinal pain and neurological symptoms.

3. Spinal deformity

Spinal deformities caused by spinal tumors are not uncommon. The main mechanisms include: tumor damage to the vertebral body and (or) appendages; spasmodic reaction of tissues around the spine; and compression of surrounding structures by the large size of the tumor. For example, osteoid osteoma often presents with scoliotic deformity that is concave toward the side of the lesion, and the apex of the scoliosis is often the location of the lesion.

4. Neurological dysfunction

Spinal nerve compression can be caused by direct invasion of the tumor itself or secondary to deformity caused by tumor destruction of bony structures. Since spinal tumors are mainly located in the vertebral bodies, they often compress the pyramidal tract or anterior horn cells from the front, so the first manifestation is often motor function impairment. The clinical symptoms vary depending on the degree and location of compression of the spinal nerves, such as anterior horn syndrome, posterior horn syndrome and hemisection syndrome.