Unilateral biportal endoscopy for the treatment of high-grade thoracic spinal meningioma: a case report and review of the literature.

Thoracic spinal segment intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors have the risk of disability, and early detection can usually be treated by surgery. The thoracic spinal canal is narrower than the cervical and lumbar spine, with ribs connected on both sides, so the operable space for surgery is narrow, intraoperative exposure is difficult, so it is worthwhile to summarize and improve how to completely resect the thoracic IDEM tumors, and to minimize the surgical-related neurological dysfunction. Currently, most of the surgical approaches are open laminectomy approach and microscopic surgery, and there are few reports about the surgical approach of Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy (UBE). We report a case of significant spinal cord compression due to an IDEM lesion at the T2 vertebral level. A UBE surgery was performed to resect the intraspinal tumor, which was pathologically confirmed as a meningioma. The patient recovered well postoperatively, neurological and imaging success was achieved, and the pathology results confirmed that the tumor was a meningioma, and treatment was completed without adjuvant therapy. The UBE technique can be applied to the treatment of intradural tumors. UBE technique for the treatment of IDEM tumors in the upper thoracic spine is safe and effective and deserves further promotion.