Dr. Nobuhito MorotaJapan
Kitasato University Hospital
| 10/2018 to present | Division head, Pediatric Neurosurgery |
| 10/2018 - 03/2019 | Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Kitasato University School of Medicine |
| 03/2002 - 09/2014 | Head, Department of Neurosurgery, National Center for Child Health and Development |
| 10/2014 - 09/2018 | Head, Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center |
Pediatric Neurosurgery, Neuroendoscopic surgery, CVJ surgery, Surgery for the congenital anomaly, Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring
Dr. Morota began his career as a pediatric neurosurgeon in 1986 at Kobe Children’s Hospital. He moved to New York University Medical Center in 1991 and served as a clinical fellow in both intraoperative neurophysiology and pediatric neurosurgery. After his return in 1995, he was appointed as Director of Division of Neurosurgery in the newly founded National Center for Child Health and Development in Tokyo in 2002 and led it to become the largest pediatric neurosurgical service in Japan. He moved to Tokyo Metropolitan Children’s Medical Center in 2014, then, moved to Kitasato University School of Medicine in 2018.
Surgery of spinal lipomas: When and how to operate based on the new classification of spinal lipomas
1109 16:00-16:15
Interim Meeting of AASPN/303A
Surgical resection remains the primary treatment strategy for spinal lipomas. However, the natural history of spinal lipomas is not yet fully understood. A novel classification system categorizes spinal lipomas into four types (Types 1 to 4), each suggesting different natural histories and pathogeneses. Tethering is a common pathogenic mechanism across all types, while mass effect is relevant for Types 1 and 2, and dysgenesis of the conus medullaris is implicated in Types 2 and 3.
Recent studies have demonstrated that spinal lipomas exhibit rapid growth within the first three months of life, influencing surgical indications and timing. For symptomatic spinal lipomas, surgery is ideally performed within the first three months post-birth, regardless of lipoma type. The surgical management of asymptomatic spinal lipomas remains controversial; however, a low-set conus medullaris may warrant surgical intervention. In cases of large Type 1 and 2 lipomas, early preventive surgery prior to three months of age is advisable. For small to medium-sized Type 1 and 2 lipomas, and Types 3 and 4 lipomas, surgical resection after three months is recommended. Radical resection is particularly applicable to Type 1 spinal lipomas as a surgical procedure.
Further research is necessary to refine these guidelines and improve surgical outcomes.