Natural history and surgical treatment of brown tumor lesions at various sites in refractory primary hyperparathyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: Nowadays, the occurrence of brown tumor lesions or osteitis fibrosa cystica caused by long-lasting primary hyperparathyroidism are very rare, since measuring serum calcium became available routinely in the mid-1970s. It is a tumor-like lesion that may affect the entire skeleton, often presenting with diffuse focal bone pain or by pathological fracture. METHODS: We describe our experience of brown tumor lesions at different skeletal sites that were treated at our trauma centre within the last two years. This included surgical therapy for the indications (i) pain at the pelvis, (ii) increased risk for pathological fracture at the tibia and (iii) acute radicular symptoms at the lumbar spine. The literature was reviewed for the current understanding of the pathophysiology as well as therapy of brown tumor lesions in primary hyperparathyroidism. RESULTS: Curettage of a left-sided iliac crest brown tumor terminated focal pain. A less invasive stabilisation system and bone cement decreased both patient pain and the fracture risk of brown tumor lesion sites of the shinbone; and internal fixator including laminectomy at the lumbar spine ended radicular symptoms. CONCLUSION: Patients with refractory primary hyperparathyroidism should be monitored closely by endocrinologists and the patient's serum calcium level should be adjusted as far as possible. Radiography is required only if focal bone pain or pathological fractures or radicular symptoms occur. Surgery should be considered if large bone defects with spontaneous fracture risk or increasing pain are present. Tumor curettage, Palacos plombage and less invasive stabilisation systems have proved to be acceptable surgical options.

[CT-guided vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty: comparing technical success rate and complications in 101 cases]. / CT-gesteuerte Vertebro- und Kyphoplastie: Vergleichende Untersuchung zu technischem Erfolg und Komplikationen bei 101 Eingriffen.

PURPOSE: To compare the technical success and complication rates in CT-guided vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2002 - 2005 69 patients (101 vertebrae) were treated with vertebroplasty (n = 82) or kyphoplasty (n = 19) using 4-slice MSCT with CT fluoroscopy as the sole guidance for the procedure. The underlying lesions were osteoporotic fractures in 78 vertebral bodies and 23 vertebral metastases. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all 101 procedures. Post-interventional CT demonstrated asymptomatic cement leakage in 51/101 vertebrae. Kyphoplasty resulted in leakage in 11/19 (57.9 %) and vertebroplasty in 40/82 (48.8 %) procedures. With p = 0.48 (Mann-Whitney Test) there was no significant difference between kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty with respect to the number of cement leakage occurrences. There was one minor complication of an L5 root irritation following radiofrequency ablation and vertebroplasty of a sarcoma metastasis which subsided without treatment after 8 weeks. There was one major complication of intraspinal cement leakage during tumor vertebroplasty causing T5 root compression and requiring laminectomy for cement removal. The overall rate of major complications requiring treatment was 0.99 %. CONCLUSION: Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty can be safely performed using only MSCT fluoroscopy guidance. The rate of major complications is very low. There was a high rate of small asymptomatic cement leakages which may have remained undetected with conventional fluoroscopy (CF). There was no statistically significant advantage for kyphoplasty with respect to cement leakage and the technical success rate.