Patterns of Treatment Delay in Patients with Symptomatic Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression.

Background: Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) can potentially result in serious, deleterious effects on patient outcomes and postoperative morbidity. Delays may occur any at any step in the chain of care, increasing the risk of preventable complications.

Objectives: This study, thus, aims to identify patterns of treatment delays and determine the predictive factors of postoperative ambulatory function in patients with symptomatic MESCC.