The first successful resection of an intradural tumor, a fibro-myxoma, was accomplished in 1887 by Victor Horsley [1], and the

The first successful resection of an intradural tumor, a fibro-myxoma, was accomplished in 1887 by Victor Horsley, and the first successful resection of an intramedullary spinal cord tumor was performed in 1907 by Anton von Eiselsberg in Austria. However, the first report of an intramedullary tumor appeared in 1911 by Charles Elsberg in New York. Elsberg described a two-stage strategy for the removal of these intramedullary tumors. At the initial operation a myelotomy would be performed. The surgeon would then return one week later to remove the intramedullary tumor. This technique allowed the neurosurgeon to remove only the extruded portion of an intramedullary tumor. Tumor within the spinal cord would not be removed for fear of neurological injury.