Abstract
Introduction: Two example case reports are presented of symptomatic vertebral haemangiomas. These were managed by percutaneous acrylic vertebroplasty in preference to total vertebrectomy and trivertebral fusion.
Subjects: Both patients were female and presented with severe thoracolumbar pain. One, aged 23, had an implosion fracture of L2 with kyphosis. The other, aged 73, had continuous back pain made worse by lying down. MRI revealed haemangiomas in both cases replacing the vertebral bodies of L2 and L4 respectively. There was no neurological deficit.
Technique: Percutaneous vertebroplasty was performed in both cases under general anaesthetic by bilateral synchronous transpedicular injection of polymethyl-methacrylate, using continuous biplanar image intensifier control to monitor the distribution of the acrylic.
Results: Both cases were relieved of all symptoms from the moment of waking from the anaesthetic. The total number of haemangioma cases treated in Athens and Geneva is 11, and these current results are typical of the series1 where all cases have been effectively treated without significant complications. Follow up one to seventy-two months.
Conclusion: Percutaneous acrylic vertebroplasty should be the treatment of choice for symptomatic vertebral haemangiomas without neurological involvement. The reason for this presentation is to emphasise not only the relative simplicity of the technique but also the impressive immediate resolution of symptoms.
Abstracts prepared by Mr. A. J. Stirling, FRCS, and Miss A. Weaver. Correspondence should be addressed to Miss A. Weaver at the Research and Teaching Centre, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 2AP, UK
BritSpine 2002, the second combined meeting of the British Association of Spinal Surgeons, the British Cervical Spine Society, The British Scoliosis Society and the Society for Back Pain Research, took place at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham UK between 27th February and 1st March 2002. The following presentations and posters were given and displayed.
Reference:
1 Martin JB, Jean B, Sugiu K et al. Vertebroplasty: Clinical experience and follow up results. Bone, 1999; 25 (suppl 2): 11 S – 15 S Google Scholar
