Incidence, characteristics, management and outcome of patients with follicular lymphoma with tumor epidural compression, a study on 22 cases.

PURPOSE: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is one of the most common lymphoma. Occasionally, FL is associated with tumoral epidural compression and management of these patients remain poorly codified. This study aims to report incidence, clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of patients with FL and tumoral epidural compression. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational, retrospective cohort study of adult patients with FL and epidural tumor compression, treated in a French Institute over the last 20 years (2000-2021). RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2021, 1382 patients with FL were followed by the haematological department. Of them, 22 (1.6%) patients (16 men and 6 women) had follicular lymphoma with epidural tumor compression. At epidural tumor compression occurrence, 8/22 (36%) patients had a neurological clinical deficit (motor, sensory or sphincter function) and 14/22 (64%) had tumor pain. All patients were treated with immuno-chemotherapy; the main regimen being used was R-CHOP plus high dose IV methotrexate in 16/22 (73%) patients. Radiotherapy for tumor epidural compression was performed in 19/22 (86%) patients. With a median follow-up of 60 months (range=[1-216]), 5 year local tumor relapse free survival was achieved in 65% (95% CI 47-90%) of patients. The median PFS was of 36 months (95% CI 24-NA) and 5 years OS estimate was 79% (95% CI 62-100%). Two patients developed a relapse at a second epidural site. CONCLUSION: FL with tumoral epidural compression reached 1.6% of all FL patients. Management based on immuno-chemotherapy with radiotherapy appeared to produce comparable outcomes with the general FL population.

History of Evolution of Posterolateral Approaches to the Thoracic Spine: From Cure of Pott's Disease to Epidural Tumor Resection.

Since the end of the nineteenth century, the wide dissemination of Pott's disease has ignited debates about which should be the ideal route to perform ventrolateral decompression of the dorsal spine in case of paraplegia due to spinal cord compression in tuberculosis spondylitis. It was immediately clear that the optimal approach should be the one minimizing the surgical manipulation on both neural and extraneural structures while optimizing the exposure and surgical maneuverability on the target area. The first attempt was reported by Victor Auguste Menard in 1894, who described, for the first time, a completely different route from traditional laminectomy, called costotransversectomy. The technique was conceived to drain tubercular paravertebral abscesses causing paraplegia without manipulating the spinal cord. Over the following decades, many other routes have been described all over the world, thus demonstrating the wide interest on the topic. Surgical development has been marked by the new technical achievements and by instrumental/technological advancements, until the advent of portal surgery and endoscopy-assisted techniques. In this article, the authors retraced the milestones of this history up to the present days, through a systematic review on the topic.

Diagnostic value of MRI in coexistence of schwannoma and meningioma mimicking a single dumbbell-shaped tumor in high cervical level. Case series and literature review.

CONTEXT: Concurrent schwannoma and meningioma arising in the high cervical level mimicking a single dumbbell-shaped tumor is significantly rare, most of them were found during the surgeries or postoperative histological findings unexpectedly. The specific feature of schwannoma and meningioma coexistence in high cervical level on MR images has not been clearly described yet. FINDINGS: We presented four cases of concurrent extradural schwannoma and intradural meningioma mimicking a single dumbbell-shaped tumor arising in the high cervical level. There was no interconnection between intradural and extradural masses in any case. In MRI reviews, the signal intensity between intradural lesions and spinal cord was similar on T2 weighted MR images. However, on contrast-enhanced MR images, the intradural lesions were more enhanced than spinal cord and presented as crescent-shaped intradural minor lesions adjacent to the more significantly enhanced extradural major tumor. These MRI findings could not be easily identified without meticulous observation preoperatively. Postoperative pathological findings confirmed the discrete tumors arising in the same cervical level. CONCLUSION: The comparison of signal intensity changes among the spinal cord, intradural tumor and extradural tumor between T2 weighted and contrast-enhanced MR images may be helpful to predict coexistent schwannoma and meningioma in the high cervical level preoperatively. Intradural exploration is highly recommended when less enhanced crescent-shaped intradural minor lesion was observed adjacent to the significantly enhanced dumbbell-shaped major tumor in preoperative MRI findings.

Primary epidural lumbar Ewing sarcoma presenting as cauda equina syndrome in an adult patient who underwent surgical decompression: A case report / Sarcoma de Ewing epidural lumbar primario que se presenta como síndrome de la cola de caballo en un paciente adulto que se sometió a descompresión quirúrgica: informe de caso clínico

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a rare primary neoplasm in the lumbar adult spine and may mimic a benign tumor. In this case, after a patient's three-month history of lower back pain and rapidly progressing leg numbness and weakness, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass in the third lumbar vertebra. At a two-month follow-up, imaging showed a fracture, compression and lesion enlargement. Decompression and fixation confirmed ES, and the patient began combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Two months postoperatively, residual ES was suspected on MRI. The patient underwent a second surgery, and histopathology confirmed necrosis. A six-month follow-up after the first surgery showed no tumor recurrence. This case supports the inclusion of ES in the differential diagnosis of pathologic spinal fracture. Early decompression and spinal fixation are critical for preserving neurologic and spinal functions in ES complicated by a compression fracture. Combined adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy remain the standard therapeutic strategy (AU)

El sarcoma de Ewing (SE) es una neoplasia primaria rara de la columna vertebral adulta lumbar y puede confundirse con un tumor benigno. En este caso, tras un historial del paciente de 3 meses de dolor en la parte inferior de la espalda y una rápida progresión de entumecimiento y debilidad en las piernas, una resonancia magnética (RM) mostró la presencia de una masa en la tercera vértebra lumbar. En un seguimiento de 2 meses, la imagen reveló una fractura, compresión y un agrandamiento de la lesión. La intervención de descompresión y fijación confirmó el SE, y el paciente inició una pauta combinada de radioterapia y quimioterapia. Dos meses después de la intervención, se sospechó SE residual en una RM. El paciente se sometió a una segunda intervención quirúrgica y la histopatología confirmó necrosis. Un seguimiento de 6 meses después de la primera intervención no mostró recidiva del tumor. Este caso respalda la inclusión del SE en el diagnóstico diferencial de las fracturas patológicas de la columna vertebral. La descompresión y fijación tempranas de la columna vertebral resultan cruciales para preservar las funciones neurológicas y vertebrales en el SE complicado con una fractura por compresión. El tratamiento combinado complementario de radioterapia y quimioterapia sigue siendo la estrategia terapéutica de referencia (AU)

Lumbar Spinal Epidural Capillary Hemangioma: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND Capillary hemangiomas are often seen on the skin of young individuals and are rarely found in the spine. These vascular lesions can arise from any spinal compartment, although they are more commonly found in the intradural extramedullary (IDEM) than the epidural location. We present a unique case of a woman with a histologically proven spinal epidural capillary hemangioma (SECH). The imaging and histopathological characteristics, as well as the treatment strategy of this vascular lesion, are highlighted along with a comprehensive review of the literature. CASE REPORT A 38-year-old woman presented with progressively worsening low back pain that radiated to both legs. Neurological examination revealed a weakness of the left leg without sensory loss. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated an epidural tumor at L1-L2 level, making an obtuse angle with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on sagittal T2-weighted images. The patient underwent a complete tumor resection without complications or recurrence. The histology revealed a capillary hemangioma. CONCLUSIONS SECH is exceedingly rare, with only 22 cases in the reported literature. Females are more commonly affected than males, and the thoracic spine is more commonly involved than the lumbar spine. SECH often mimics other epidural and IDEM lesions, leading to misdiagnosis. MRI is useful to differentiate SECH from lesions in the various spinal compartments; additionally, MRI is essential for preoperative planning and patient surveillance. Preoperative embolization is an option given the high vascularity of SECH. Surgery is the mainstay treatment, with a good prognosis, in most cases without recurrence.

Pure extraosseous spinal epidural cavernous hemangioma presenting with acute paraplegia: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Spinal hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors that most commonly originate from the osseous structures of the spinal column. Epidural spinal hemangiomas without osseous involvement are uncommon and are classified as pure epidural spinal hemangiomas. Extraosseous spinal epidural cavernous hemangiomas are rarely described and among available reports; most patients present with slowly progressive neurological symptoms. Herein, we present a novel case of acute neurological dysfunction from a pure spinal epidural hemangioma that was managed through surgical resection with good neurological recovery at follow-up. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old previously healthy man presented to the emergency room with sudden inability to ambulate and was found to have bilateral lower extremity weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine demonstrated an epidural mass extending out of the right T5/6 neural foramen. The mass enhanced heterogeneously, and the preoperative diagnosis favored an atypical schwannoma. The lesion was surgically removed en-bloc through a midline posterior decompression with instrumentation. Histopathologic examination confirmed cavernous hemangioma pathology. Within 6 weeks of the surgical intervention, the patient had regained full sensorimotor function and these effects were durable through long term follow-up. DISCUSSION: Pure spinal epidural hemangiomas are rare and generally have an insidious clinical course. This case report highlights that these uncommon lesions may present with substantial and acute neurological dysfunction requiring urgent neurosurgical intervention. This should prompt clinicians to consider cavernous hemangioma in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with acute neurological deterioration and an epidural spinal tumor.

Spinal epidural capillary hemangioma: A systematic literature review and an illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Spinal hemangiomas are rare vascular malformations resulting from proliferation of vascular endothelial cells. The cavernous form is the most common and represents 5-12% of spinal vascular malformations, while the capillary form is rare. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 56-year-old patient with no past medical history presented with progressive spinal cord compression symptoms localizing to the T10 level with MRC grade 4 proximal paraparesis. Preoperative MRI demonstrated a well-delineated, dumbbell-shaped, epidural lesion, without bony involvement, resulting in spinal cord compression at the T7 and T8 levels. The patient underwent gross total surgical resection of the lesion. At the one month follow up, the patient's strength improved to MRC grade 5, and sensation had fully returned. The histopathological diagnosis was a capillary hemangioma. Exclusively epidural capillary hemangiomas are extremely rare with only 26 cases reported in the literature. They are mainly located at the thoracic level (T4-T6). The MRI features include a well-circumscribed mass, hyperintense on T2-weighted sequence in 92% of cases, isointense on T1-weighted sequence in 88% of cases, and homogeneous contrast enhancement in 100% of cases. No tumor recurrence has been observed after gross total surgical removal. CONCLUSIONS: When evaluating progressive spinal cord compression by a purely epidural spinal lesion, the differential diagnosis should include capillary hemangioma, in addition to schwannoma, meningioma, and lymphoma. Early and complete surgical removal is the first line treatment.

Tratamiento quirúrgico de las metástasis espinales epidurales / Surgical Treatment for Epidural Spine Metastasis

Introducción:Los tumores metastásicos son los más comunes de la columna vertebral.Objetivo:Evaluar los resultados quirúrgicos de pacientes con metástasis espinales epidurales, según dolor pre-y posoperatorio, estado neurológico e índice de discapacidad.Métodos: Estudio descriptivo de tipo longitudinal retrospectivo en una muestra de 34 pacientes de 20 o más años de edad ‒universo conformado por 62 pacientes‒con metástasis espinal, atendidos en el hospital "Hermanos Ameijeiras" entre enero 2016-marzo 2018 y operados con técnica de descompresión por corpectomía y fijación de columna. Se comprobóla intensidad del dolor mediante la escala Denis;el estado neurológico mediante la escala de Frankel y el porcentaje de discapacidad a través de la escala Oswestry. Se aplicaron pruebas de significación estadística. La investigación cumplió con los principios de la Declaración de Helsinski.Resultados:predominaron los pacientes de 40 a 59 años (64,7 por ciento) y sexo masculino (67,6 por ciento). El tumor primario más frecuente fue el hematopoyético (41,2 por ciento), con afectación del segmento torácico (57,9 por ciento). La técnica criolla, la más empleada con el 44,1 por ciento. En el preoperatorio la mayoría se encontraban en Denis III, con Frankel D y 66,2 por ciento de discapacidad. En la evaluación posoperatoria la mayoría se encontraban en un Denis entre 0 y 1, Frankel E con conservación del estado neurológico y 31,4 por ciento de incapacidad (p= 0,000). Conclusiones:El tratamiento quirúrgico de los pacientes con metástasis vertebral por medio de instrumentación y descompresión tiene beneficios clínicos, sobre todo, la mejora del dolor y de la función neurológica(AU)

Introduction: Metastatic tumors are the most frequent in the spine. Objective: To evaluate surgical results in patients with epidural spine metastatic tumors, according to pain before and after surgery, their neurological status, and disability index. Methods: This is a retrospective longitudinal descriptive study in a sample of 34 patients older than 20 years- longitudinal descriptive study in a sample of 34 patients aged 20 or over from a universe made up of 62 patients. They had spinal metastases, they were treated at Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital from January 2016 to March 2018. They underwent surgery with a decompression technique by corpectomy and spinal fixation. Pain intensity was verified using Denis scale; neurological status using Frankel scale and the percentage of disability using Oswestry scale. Statistical significance tests were applied. The investigation complied with the principles of Declaration of Helsinki. Results: Patients aged 40 to 59 years (64.7percent) and male (67.6 percent) predominated. The most frequent primary tumor was hematopoietic (41.2 percent), with involvement of the thoracic segment (57.9 percent). The Cuban technique was the most used (44.1 percent). During the preoperative period, the majority were in Denis III, with Frankel D and 66.2 percent were disabled. At the postoperative evaluation, the majority were in Denis between 0 and 1, Frankel E with preservation of neurological status and 31.4 percent of disability (p= 0.000). Conclusions: Surgical treatment of patients with vertebral metastases by means of instrumentation and decompression has clinical benefits, above all, the improvement of pain and neurological function(AU)

Minimally Invasive Resection of Spinal Tumors with Tubular Retractor: Case Series, Surgical Technique, and Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Traditional laminectomy for excision of spinal tumors involves extensive dissection of the midline spinous ligaments, greater blood loss, and risk of delayed segmental instability. The minimally invasive technique of spinal tumor resection using tubular retractors can achieve safe and complete tumor resection while preserving the structural and functional integrity. The authors present their experience of minimally invasive spinal surgery for spinal tumors in this case series. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed 41 consecutive spinal tumor cases operated by the MISS-Key Hole technique using the tubular retractor system at Sree Utharadom Thirunal Hospital, Kerala, India between January 2015 and January 2020. Preoperative clinical findings, surgical technique, operative statistics, complications, and patient outcomes were analyzed in detail. RESULTS: We could successfully achieve gross total resection in 39 cases (95.12%) and subtotal resection in 2 cases. There were 4 cervical, 1 craniovertebral junction, 20 thoracic, 14 lumbar, and 2 sacral lesions, of which 4 were extradural, 1 extradural foraminal, 33 intradural, and 3 dumbbell lesions. The Modified McCormick Scale at 12 weeks had improved by 1-2 scales in all but 2 patients. There was no cerebrospinal fluid leak, pseudomeningocele, or infection in our series. CONCLUSIONS: This series demonstrates the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of the keyhole approach for excision of intradural and extradural spinal tumors extending up to 2 levels. Careful case selection, good preoperative planning, meticulous microsurgical resection, and watertight dural closure are crucial for successful outcome. Early mobilization, less blood loss, and avoidance of delayed instability are the advantages of minimally invasive spinal surgery when compared with open surgery.

Primary Paraspinal and Spinal Epidural Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Childhood.

Primary paraspinal/spinal epidural lymphoma (PPSEL) is rare in childhood. Here, we retrospectively evaluated patients with PPSEL treated in our department. We also reviewed the cases reported in the literature. Fifteen of 1354 non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases diagnosed over a 38-year period were PPSEPL. There were 11 male individuals and 4 female individuals with a median age of 13 years. Most common symptoms were pain and limb weakness. Physical examination revealed spinal cord compression in 80% of patients. The most common tumor location was the lumbar region. Histopathologic subtypes were lymphoblastic lymphoma in 6 and Burkitt lymphom in 5 patients. Subtotal or near-total excision of the tumor with laminectomy was performed in 6 patients. Thirteen and 9 patients received chemotherapy and radiotherapy, respectively. Neurologic recovery was observed in 70% of patients. Seven patients were alive without disease at a median of 88 months. Overall and event-free survival rates were 61.7% and 50.1%, respectively. We reviewed clinical features, treatment, and outcome of 69 PPSEL cases reported in the literature. Neurologic recovery and long-term survival was achieved in 66.7% of them. Heterogeneity in diagnostic methods and treatment have made it difficult to establish the prognostic indicators for neurologic outcome and survival. Multicenter prospective studies with more cases are necessary to determine the prognostic factors.

What Predicts the Prognosis of Spinal Metastases in Separation Surgery Procedures?

BACKGROUND: Separation surgery is performed to provide a safe gap between the epidural tumor and spinal cord for postoperative stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in cases of spinal metastases. However, there is a gap in evidence regarding sufficient tumor resection in separation surgery. We describe the prognoses according to the extent of resection in separation surgery. METHODS: This retrospective study included 36 consecutive patients who underwent separation surgery and postoperative SBRT between December 2016 and December 2019 at a single center. Local control (LC), overall survival (OS), distance of separation (DS), and quality-of-life parameters were analyzed. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Patients were assigned to the aggressive resection group (ARG, n = 18) or moderate resection group (MRG, n = 18), with estimated LC and OS at 1 year of 79.0% and 75.9%, respectively. There were no significant differences between ARG and MRG in estimated LC (85.9% vs. 72.2%; P = 0.317) or OS (69.3% vs. 80.9%, P = 0.953) at 1 year. All 5 patients in MRG who developed local progression had less satisfactory tumor resection with DS <3 mm. A borderline significant difference in estimated LC at 1 year was noted between individuals with DS <3 mm and those with DS ≥3 mm (51.9% vs. 100.0%; P = 0.053) in MRG. There was no statistical difference between ARG and MRG in quality-of-life parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate resection of ventral dural mass did not significantly reduce patients' prognosis in separation surgery. However, the minimal distance between the postoperative residual epidural tumor and spinal cord should be ≥3 mm.

A pilot study of stereotactic boost for malignant epidural spinal cord compression: clinical significance and initial dosimetric evaluation.

PURPOSE: Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) is a devastating complication of advanced malignancy, which can result in neurologic complications and significant deterioration in overall function and quality of life. Most patients are not candidates for optimal surgical decompression and as a result, receive urgent 3D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) to prevent or attempt to reverse neurologic progression. Multiple trials indicate that response and ambulatory rates after 3DCRT are inferior to surgery. The advent of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has created a method with which a "radiosurgical decompression" boost may facilitate improve outcomes for MESCC patients. METHODS: We are conducting a pilot study to investigate SBRT boost after urgent 3D CRT for patients with MESCC. The aim of the study is to establish feasibility of this two-phase treatment regimen, and secondarily to characterize post-treatment ambulation status, motor response, pain control, quality of life and survival. DISCUSSION: We describe the study protocol and present a case report of one patient. A quality assurance review was conducted after the first seven patients, and resultant dose-constraints were revised to improve safety and feasibility of planning through more conservative organ at risk constraints. There have been no severe adverse events (grade 3-5) to date. We have illustrated clinical and dosimetric data of an example case, where a patient regained full strength and ambulatory capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study aims to determine if SBRT is a feasible option in addition to standard 3DCRT for MESCC patients, with the goal to consider future randomized trials if successful. Having a robust quality assurance process in this study ensures translatability going forward if future trials with multicenter and increased patient representation are to be considered. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov; registration no. NCT03529708; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03529708 ; First posted May 18, 2018.

A movement disorder specialist gets a taste of his own medicine.

We present a case in which a movement disorder neurologist developed two different hyperkinetic movements due to corticospinal tract hyperexcitability, which resolved completely with surgical removal of an epidural spinal canal tumor. The first-hand description of these movements creates a unique opportunity for enhanced insight into these complex movement phenomena.

Outcome of Epidural Hematoma: Lessons from Solitary Fibrous Tumor/Hemangiopericytoma.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial solitary fibrous tumor (SFT)/hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is rare. In this report, a case of epidural hematoma (EDH) that eventually evolved into SFT/HPC is presented. We describe the possible association between the 2 diseases, which has not been previously reported. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 40-year-old man suffered from an EDH in the right parietal area 12 years ago and accepted conservative treatment. Follow-up computed tomography (CT) scan shows that the density of the right EDH gradually changed from uniform slightly lower density to mixed density. A new CT scan revealed an epidural mass extending to the subcutaneous with local bone destruction. An operation was performed via a large right parietal craniotomy, and the final diagnosis was World Health Organization grade III SFT/HPC after histopathologic examination and immunohistochemical verification. The patient died of deterioration of brain disease 3 months after the final diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report that HPC occurred in the epidural cavity. We are the first time to describe the possible association between EDH and HPC.

Primary Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma of the Thoracic Spine Presenting as Chest Pain Mimicking Spinal Schwannoma.

BACKGROUND: Extraosseous Ewing sarcoma (EES) usually has a pseudocapsule and high vascularity, making it well circumscribed and focally dense with contrast enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Consequently, it is difficult to diagnose and distinguish from other spinal tumors, based on pretreatment radiologic findings alone. Here, we present a case of EES involving the thoracic spinal column, which was suspected to be spinal schwannoma through pretreatment radiologic findings. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 54-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with upper back and left-sided chest pain. Contrast-enhanced MRI of the thoracolumbar spine showed a 17- × 12-mm-sized mass in the epidural region and left neural foramen at the T6-7 level. Our preliminary diagnosis was spinal schwannoma. The patient underwent T6 hemilaminectomy. Intraoperatively, the lesion appeared as gray-colored soft mass with high vascularity, which seemed to have originated from the left T6 nerve root. The tumor was excised with en bloc resection. Histopathologic examination of the lesion revealed classical Ewing sarcoma with high cellularity of small round cells. Immunohistochemistry revealed strong positivity for cluster of differentiation 99 and FLI-1. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy was performed. The patient did not receive chemotherapy. Five years after surgery, follow-up spinal MRI and positron emission tomography computed tomography scan revealed no recurrence of the tumor or new lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should consider EES in the differential diagnosis of other neural foraminal spinal tumors, such as schwannoma. If clinicians are confident that EES has been removed completely and there are no other lesions, radiotherapy is sufficient and additional chemotherapy may not be necessary.

Clinical features and long-term surgical outcomes of pure spinal epidural cavernous hemangioma-report of 23 cases.

BACKGROUND: Pure spinal epidural cavernous malformation (CM) is a rare hypervascular disease that is easily misinterpreted as other imaging-similar epidural lesions. The demographic characteristics, therapeutic strategies, and surgical outcomes associated with this vascular entity remains unclear. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with pathologically proven, pure epidural CM from 2001 to 2018 was conducted. All data that included clinical manifestations, radiographic features, and treatment modalities were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-three consecutive patients with an average age of 51.5 ± 8.4 years old (range 38-70 years old) were included; of these, 52.2% were female patients. Clinical manifestation included chronic progressive nerve root disturbance syndrome in 7 patients (30.4%) and myelopathy in 16 patients (69.6%). The CM level was predominately thoracic (n = 14, 60.9%) or lumbar (n = 6, 26.1%), with the dorsal epidural space (n = 14, 60.9%) the most common site. The initial clinical diagnoses were schwannoma (n = 11, 52.2%), meningioma (n = 5, 21.7%), angioma (n = 3, 13.1%), recurrent CMs (n = 2, 8.7%), and metastatic tumor (n = 1, 4.3%). Fifteen lesions (65.2%) were isointense on T1-weighted images, and all lesions were hyperintense on T2-weighted images, with homogenously strong enhancement observed in 17 lesions (73.9%). Total resection was achieved in 18 patients (78.3%) and usually resulted in excellent clinical outcomes (n = 21, 91.3%). No patients experienced recurrence of symptoms, and lesion relapse during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Total surgical removal of epidural CM can usually achieve satisfactory outcomes in patients with a chronic clinical course and should be recommended. Subtotal removal of tumors can also benefit patients, and guaranteed a long recurrent free time after surgery. A good preoperative neurological condition usually leads to good outcomes.

The clinical utility of the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) system in spinal epidural metastases: a retrospective study.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the clinical utility of the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) in relation to the surgical treatment of spinal epidural metastasis and factors important for surgical decision-making. These factors include epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC), patient prognosis and neurologic status. SETTING: Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, Canada. METHODS: We identified 285 patients with spinal metastatic disease. Data were extracted through a retrospective review. SINS and ESCC were scored based on CT and MRI, respectively. RESULTS: Patients were grouped into stable (35%), potentially unstable (52%), and unstable (13%) groups. The overall incidence of metastatic spinal deformity was 9%. Surgical interventions were performed in 21% of patients, including decompression and instrumented fusion (70%), decompression alone (17%), percutaneous vertebral augmentation (9%), and instrumented vertebral augmentation (5%). The use of spinal instrumentation was significantly associated with unstable SINS (p = 0.005). Grade 3 ESCC was also significantly associated with unstable SINS (p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that SINS was not a predictor of survival (p = 0.98). In the radiotherapy-alone group, a significant proportion of patients with potentially unstable SINS (30%) progressed into unstable SINS category at an average 364 ± 244 days (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that more severe categories of SINS were associated with higher degrees of ESCC, and surgical interventions were more often utilized in this group with more frequent placement of spinal instrumentation. Although SINS did not predict patient prognosis, it correlates with the progression of metastatic instability in patients treated with radiotherapy.

Cervical-Thoracic Epidural Giant Cell Reparative Granuloma: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Giant cell reparative granuloma (GCRG) is a rare benign tumor. The jawbone is the most common site of occurrence, followed by sphenoid bone, craniofacial bone, hand and foot bones. The etiology of GCRG is unknown but may be related to an intraosseous hemorrhage following trauma. Despite its benign nature, it could be locally aggressive. To our knowledge, no spinal epidural GCRG case has been reported. CASE DESCRIPTION: A case of man aged 32 years who presented with upper right limb numbness and weakness. Computed tomography showed a round soft tissue mass in the spinal canal at the C7-T1 level. The mass showed isointensity on T1-weighted images, hypointensity on T2-weighted images, and significant enhancement on postcontrast T1-weighted images. The mass localized in the epidural space and was surgically resected. The histologic diagnosis was consistent with GCRG. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal epidural GCRG is rare and is hardly considered in the differential diagnosis. Preoperative diagnosis of GCRG is challenging, and the definitive diagnosis could only be made by pathological examination. Surgical resection is probably an effective therapy for relief of symptoms.

Endoscope-assisted anterolateral approach to a recurrent cervical spinal chordoma.

BACKGROUND: The anterolateral approach (ALA) enables to access the craniovertebral junction (CVJ), lower and middle clivus, jugular foramen, and cervical spine from a lateral perspective. It is particularly indicated when dealing with extradural bone tumors. Other rare indications are represented by spondylotic myeloradiculopathy and vascular diseases. METHOD: We describe here the steps to safely perform an anterolateral approach along with a brief description of its indications and limits. CONCLUSION: ALA represents a valid option to treat cervical spine and CVJ bone tumors such as chordomas. Its knowledge can improve the process of approach selection when dealing with such complex cases.