Recurrent adamantinoma in the thoracolumbar spine successfully treated by three-level total en bloc spondylectomy by a single posterior approach.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Adamantinoma is a low-grade primary malignant bone tumour with slow growth and local recurrence. Its occurrence in the spine is extremely rare, particularly with multilevel involvement. This paper wants to present the first case involving a patient with recurrent thoracolumbar spinal adamantinoma, who underwent a successful three-level spondylectomy for en bloc resection. METHODS: A 24-year-old man with osteolytic masses of T11 and T12 vertebral bodies was performed curettage by a posterior approach in 2008. The pathology report showed the excised neoplasm was a rare adamantinoma. This patient underwent a tumorectomy again because of its local recurrence nearly 3 years later. In 2012, it was unfortunately revealed that the excised tumour had relapsed and had spread to the L1 vertebral body. Due to its repeated recurrence and aggressive lesion, total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) for this malignant tumour was thought to be the best option for preventing repeated recurrence and possible cure. TES for T11-L1 thoracolumbar spine was performed and spinal reconstruction was completed with instrumentation and a titanium mesh cage through a one-stage single posterior approach. RESULTS: After three-level TES, neurological deficits of the patient demonstrated good recovery and no evidence of adamantinoma recurrence or deformity was found at 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case involving multilevel thoracolumbar spinal adamantinoma with repeated recurrence to be successfully treated by three-level TES by a single posterior approach.