Successful total extirpation of hemangioblastoma originating in the medulla oblongata.

Hemangioblastomas of the medulla oblongata were successfully excised in two separate cases. The uncertainties of this procedure involve the value of preoperative radiation therapy, the relationship between the tumor and the medulla oblongata, and the surgical techniques themselves. Cardiovascular and respiratory disorders often complicate this type of surgery, and postoperative dysphagia is a frequent sequela.