Treatments for primary aneurysmal bone cysts of the cervical spine: experience of 14 cases / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign lesion with the potential to be locally aggressive. The optimal treatment of cervical spine lesions remains controversial. This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the different treatments for primary ABCs of the cervical spine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This series included eight men and six women diagnosed between 2002 and 2012. A retrospective review of the hospital charts, operating room reports, office charts, and radiographs was performed. The data collected included patient age, sex, radiological features, pathology, treatment methods, outcomes, and complications from biopsies and treatments. The mean age at diagnosis was 17.5 years old with a range of 6-35 years. All patients had experienced local pain for a mean of 7.3 months (range, 0.5-18.0 months), and three patients had neurological deficits (one with radiculopathy and two with myelopathy). The Frankel classification before treatment was E in 12 cases, D in one case, and C in one case.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Four patients received radiotherapy alone. Ten patients underwent surgery, including five total spondylectomies, two local resections, and three curettages. Three patients received preoperative selective arterial embolization, and four received adjuvant radiotherapy. The mean follow-up time was 44.5 months (range 12-96 months), and no recurrence was identified. Three patients with neurological deficits achieved complete recovery, as noted at the final follow-up examination. One patient received radiotherapy without appropriate immobilization as prescribed and developed C1-C2 subluxation with severe spinal cord compression but without myelopathy. He refused further treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The results can be achieved by different treatments (surgical resection/curettage, selective arterial embolization, and radiotherapy) for ABC of the cervical spine. Reconstruction of stability is also important for the treatment of cervical ABC.</p>

Surgical treatment of 21 patients with spinal metastases of differentiated thyroid cancer / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is a common primary cancer for spinal metastases (SM). The treatments for DTC spinal metastases (SM) have evolved from simple surgery and radiotherapy to a multidisciplinary comprehensive therapeutic strategy of combined spinal surgery, general surgery, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine and endocrinology. The purpose of this study was to discuss the efficacy and prognosis associated with different surgical treatments of SM patients with DTC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 21 consecutive patients with SM of DTC that were treated between 1999 and 2013 were studied. Biopsy was routinely performed to achieve the pathological diagnosis before treatment. Three patients underwent total spondylectomy intralesionally or piecemeally, and 18 had curettage. Postoperative recurrence and survival times were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier methods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Nineteen patients (90%) had an average of 42.7 months (range, 7-170 months) follow-up. The median visual analogue scale for pain reduced from 5 points to 1 point (P < 0.01), and the median Karnofsky performance score increased from 70 to 90 points after surgery (P < 0.01). Seventeen patients with neurological deficits attained improvements after surgeries, of at least one level according to the Frankel classification (P < 0.01). Eight patients with curettage had recurrence. Four patients died of DTC, 12 patients lived with disease, and three patients were disease-free. No significant effects on postoperative recurrence or survival were observed between surgery combined with conservative treatment, total spondylectomy, the number of bone metastases and visceral metastasis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>DTC-SM have a relatively favorable prognosis, and curettage and stabilization can effectively relieve the pain and improve the quality of life and neurological status of the patients. For patients with Tomita scores of ≤3, total spondylectomy may have better clinical outcomes. Comprehensive therapeutic strategies including surgery, radioiodine, external beam radiation therapy and embolization should be considered for most patients.</p>

Chordomas of the upper cervical spine: clinical characteristics and surgical management of a series of 21 patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Chordomas of the upper cervical spine are rare and present unique surgical challenge. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and surgical management of patients with chordomas of the upper cervical spine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-one patients with chordomas of the upper cervical spine who were treated in Peking University Third Hospital from January 1999 to October 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and was compared between groups using the log-rank test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The postoperative diagnosis was classical chordoma in 20 cases and chondroid chordoma in one case. The mean operative time was 9.5 hours (range 6-17 hours), and the mean blood loss was 2 812 ml (range 700-4 800 ml). There were two postoperative deaths. Unilateral vertebral artery ligation was performed in six patients, cervical nerve roots were cut in six patients, and the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve was repaired after being cut in one case. Two patients developed postoperative velopharyngeal incompetence, and loosening of the occipitocervical screws was observed in one patient. The recurrence rate was 66.7% (10/15) after a mean follow-up period of 46.8 months (range 14-150 months). The 5- and 10- year overall survival rates were (39.8±13.1)% and (31.9±12.7)%, respectively. There was a significant difference in survival rate between patients who underwent surgery and those who did not.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In spite of the high rates of recurrence and complications after surgical treatment of chordomas of the upper cervical spine, intralesional resection combined with adjuvant radiotherapy remains the optimal treatment to prolong survival.</p>