Tumores vertebrales de la región cervical alta / Tumours of the upper cervical spine

Los tumores vertebrales originados en los primeros segmentos cervicales son poco frecuentes. Exponemos nuestra experiencia en el manejo de estas lesiones. Material y métodos Se revisaron de forma retrospectiva las historias clínicas de pacientes intervenidos en nuestro centro entre enero de 2000 y junio de 2011.Resultados Presentamos una serie de 9 pacientes con tumores en C1-C2-C3. De ellos 2 fueron metastáticos. Seis de los restantes 7 casos correspondían a tumores malignos primarios: 3 cordomas, 2 plasmocitomas y un condrosarcoma. El paciente restante fue diagnosticado de osteocondroma. El síntoma con el que comenzaron fue cervicalgia en todos los casos. Se practicó un doble abordaje anterior y posterior en 3 pacientes, abordaje posterior en 3 y abordaje exclusivamente anterior en otros 3. En 7 casos se realizó una escisión intralesional. A los tumores malignos se les administró tratamiento adyuvante en forma de radioterapia y/o quimioterapia. Conclusiones Los tumores cervicales altos suelen ser en general malignos y precisan un tratamiento encaminado a la resección en bloque, la estabilización y la administración de tratamientos adyuvantes. Sin embargo, esta resección no es técnicamente posible en múltiples ocasiones. Este hecho empeora el pronóstico y concede gran importancia a la administración de tratamientos adyuvantes(AU)

Objective: Vertebral tumours arising in the upper cervical spine are rare. We present our experience in managing these neoplasms. Material and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the case histories of patients treated a tour institution between January 2000 and June 2011.Results: There were 9 patients with tumours in C1-C2-C3: 2metastases, 3 chordomas,2 plasmocytomas, 1 chondrosarcoma and 1 osteochondroma. All patients complained of neck pain at the time of diagnosis. Three patients underwent an anterior and posterior approach, 3 an exclusively posterior approach and 3 an exclusively anterior surgical approach. Tumour resection was intralesional in 7 cases. Chemo-radiotherapy was used as adjuvant therapy in patients with malignant tumours. Conclusions: Vertebral tumours in the upper cervical spine are usually malignant. Achievingen bloc resection is particularly challenging and is technically unfeasible in many cases. This worsens the prognosis and makes adjuvant treatment very important (AU)

[Tumours of the upper cervical spine]. / Tumores vertebrales de la región cervical alta.

OBJECTIVE: Vertebral tumours arising in the upper cervical spine are rare. We present our experience in managing these neoplasms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the case histories of patients treated at our institution between January 2000 and June 2011. RESULTS: There were 9 patients with tumours in C1-C2-C3: 2metastases, 3chordomas, 2plasmocytomas, 1chondrosarcoma and 1osteochondroma. All patients complained of neck pain at the time of diagnosis. Three patients underwent an anterior and posterior approach, 3 an exclusively posterior approach and 3 an exclusively anterior surgical approach. Tumour resection was intralesional in 7 cases. Chemo-radiotherapy was used as adjuvant therapy in patients with malignant tumours. CONCLUSIONS: Vertebral tumours in the upper cervical spine are usually malignant. Achieving en bloc resection is particularly challenging and is technically unfeasible in many cases. This worsens the prognosis and makes adjuvant treatment very important.

Radiation-induced osteochondroma of the T4 vertebra causing spinal cord compression.

A case of a radiation-induced osteochondroma arising from the vertebral body of T4 in an 18-year-old man is reported. The patient presented with a history of progressive left lower extremity weakness. At 7 years of age, he had undergone resection of a cerebellar medulloblastoma and received adjunctive craniospinal irradiation and systemic chemotherapy. Both CT and MR imaging revealed an extradural mass contiguous with the posteroinferior endplate of the T4 vertebral body. This case indicates that radiation-induced osteochondroma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with symptoms of myelopathy or nerve root compression and a history of radiation therapy involving the spine in childhood.