Dr. Pankaj Singh
Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
 

Dattaraj Sawarker, Amandeep Kumar,Satesh Verma, P S Chandra, S S Kale

 

Paediatric vertebral haemangiomas (VH) are exceedingly rare benign and highly vascular tumours of spine.. Purpose of study was to evaluate long-term outcome (> 5 years) of patients with vertebral haemangioma presenting with myelopathy treated surgically.

 

Seven patients (Mean age 14.57 years, range: 12- 18 years, ( 3 females and 4 male)were treated surgically may 2007 to june 2016. Clinical/ Neurological outcome was assessed using American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale. Surgery consisted of intraoperative bilateral transpedicular absolute alcohol injection and laminectomy at the level of pathology followed by instrumented fusion using pedicle screws and rod in 4, laminectomy with alcohol injection in 1, laminectomy with alcohol an bone cement injection in 1 and corpectomy with instrumentation in 1. Demographical, clinical, radiological, operative details and postoperative events were retrieved from hospital records.

 

Myelopathy was present in all patients. The pre-operative ASIA score was A in 5 , C in 1 and D in 1 patient. All were in thoracic region on imaging study. Post-surgery, at mean follow up of 73.43 (range 63 to 90 months) months all patients showed improvement in power. ASIA score was E in all, at last, follow up.

 

Present study is largest series of paediatric symptomatic VH with more than 5 years follow up. Surgery tailored according to needs of patient is having good long term outcome. Learning Objectives: There are only few case reports on Pediatric vertebral hemangiomas and this study highlights that this highly vascular tumour can be treated with small blood loss except with patient with bony compression who requires corpectomy.

 

Paediatric, vertebral haemangiomas ,American Spinal Injury Association