Osteosarcoma of the spine- A dilemma in diagnosis and management

ABSTRACT

Osteosarcoma of the spine accounts for 1 to 3 percent of osteosarcoma. When this afflication of the spine occurs, it is often fraught with diagnostic dilemmas and treatment challenges.OBJECTIVE: This manuscript reports on the cases reported over a 15- year period from the UP Musculoskeletal Tumor Unit. Only 2 of the 3 cases were available for review.RESULTS: Both patients were initially misdiagnosed. This delay in diagnosis led to a delay in instituting appropriate chemotheraphy inevitable causing poor outcomes of treatment.CONCLUSION: This report highlights the dilemma of treating a difficult site. Spinal osteosarcoma presents with numerous diagnostics and management obstacles. Unless clinician awareness is improved and these treatment options become available to patients, prognosis will not improve.