Microsurgical resection of symptomatic intramedullary cervical spinal cord cavernous malformation

Intramedullary cavernous malformations account for approximately 5% of all intraspinal lesions. Symptomatic lesions are treated with microsurgical resection. Due to surrounding eloquent spinal neural tissue, surgical removal of these lesions can be technically challenging. Surgical treatment carries a significant risk for postoperative morbidity. This video demonstrates the main steps for the microsurgical technique of resection of a symptomatic intramedullary cervical spinal cord cavernous malformation at the C2–3 level. Complete resection was achieved with minimal posterior column deficit. The operative technique and surgical nuances, including the patient’s positioning, surgical approach, intraspinal cavernous malformation removal, and closure, are illustrated. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/UKttTiXlEb8.