Percutaneous vertebral augmentation in metastatic disease: state of the art.

Improvements in diagnosis and treatment have prolonged cancer survival, with a consequent increase in the incidence of spinal metastases and vertebral compression fractures with associated axial pain, progressive radiculomyelopathy, and mechanical instability. Pain relief in malignant vertebral compression fractures is key to achieving a better quality of life in patients under palliative care. The gold standard for pain relief is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids. Nonresponsive cases are then treated with radiotherapy, which may require 2-4 weeks to take effect and in most cases does not provide complete pain relief. Percutaneous vertebroplasty and percutaneous kyphoplasty can in particular give relief in patients with vertebral body compression fractures that do not cause neurological deficits but severely compromise quality of life because of intractable pain.

Stand-alone cage for posterior lumbar interbody fusion in the treatment of high-degree degenerative disc disease: design of a new device for an "old" technique. A prospective study on a series of 116 patients.

Chronic lumbar pain due to degenerative disc disease affects a large number of people, including those of fully active age. The usual self-repair system observed in nature is a spontaneous attempt at arthrodesis, which in most cases leads to pseudoarthrosis. In recent years, many possible surgical fusion techniques have been introduced; PLIF is one of these. Because of the growing interest in minimally invasive surgery and the unsatisfactory results reported in the literature (mainly due to the high incidence of morbidity and complications), a new titanium lumbar interbody cage (I-FLY) has been developed to achieve solid bone fusion by means of a stand-alone posterior device. The head of the cage is blunt and tapered so that it can be used as a blunt spreader, and the core is small, which facilitates self-positioning. From 2003 to 2007, 119 patients were treated for chronic lumbar discopathy (Modic grade III and Pfirrmann grade V) with I-FLY cages used as stand-alone devices. All patients were clinically evaluated preoperatively and after 1 and 2 years by means of a neurological examination, visual analogue score (VAS) and Prolo Economic and Functional Scale. Radiological results were evaluated by polyaxial computed tomography (CT) scan and flexion-extension radiography. Fusion was defined as the absence of segmental instability on flexion-extension radiography and Bridwell grade I or II on CT scan. Patients were considered clinical "responders" if VAS evaluation showed any improvement over baseline values and a Prolo value >7 was recorded. At the last follow-up examination, clinical success was deemed to have been achieved in 90.5% of patients; the rate of bone fusion was 99.1%, as evaluated by flexion-extension radiography, and 92.2%, as evaluated by CT scan. Morbidity (nerve root injury, dural lesions) and complications (subsidence and pseudoarthrosis) were minimal. PLIF by means of the stand-alone I-FLY cage can be regarded as a possible surgical treatment for chronic low-back pain due to high-degree DDD. This technique is not demanding and can be considered safe and effective, as shown by the excellent clinical and radiological success rates.

Vertebroplasty for pain relief and spinal stabilization in multiple myeloma.

Mechanical stabilization of oncological vertebral fractures with cement augmentation is the first mechanism of pain relief, with or without restoration of vertebral body height. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of vertebroplasty for painful vertebral body fractures in patients with multiple myeloma, in each phase of the disease. The authors reviewed a consecutive group of patients with multiple myeloma who underwent vertebroplasty at our Institute between November 2003 and December 2005. Twenty-eight levels were performed on 11 patients during 14 treatment sessions. All patients suffered from intractable back pain, and presented various lesion types (with and without fractures of posterior wall, and with and without epidural disease). The preoperative median visual analog scale (VAS) score was 7. The median duration of symptoms was 1.1 months. Eight patients were ambulating with orthopaedic devices (57%) in the pre-treatment period. Improvement or complete pain relief was observed in all patients (immediately in 8 cases, and after 2 days in 6 cases). The median VAS pain score decreased to 2. There was no symptomatic procedure-related complication. There were three cases (21%) of PMMA leakage: in the disc space in one case (7%), and in the anterior spinal canal in two cases (14%). Complete removal of orthopaedic devices was obtained in five patients (36%). No new deformation or collapse of the treated vertebrae was observed during the follow-up (range 1 day-25 months). In conclusion, vertebroplasty is a safe and efficient procedure in the treatment of painful vertebral body fractures in patients with multiple myeloma, without potential contraindications, such as fractures of the posterior wall or epidural disease. We also treated three and more levels in 28% of cases in a single session without complications. Due to the early pain relief and the low complication rate, it is possible to expand the indication to vertebroplasty for the prophylactic augmentation of those vertebral bodies at risk of fracture in which significant neoplastic substitution of the body is present.

Cavernous sinus lesions biopsy with neuronavigation and tip-cut needle.

BACKGROUND: Transoval biopsy of cavernous sinus (CS) lesions is the last non-invasive diagnostic option in those 15% of patients in whom etiology remains unclear in spite of extensive neuroradiological imaging, clinical assessment, and laboratory evaluation. However, there are no guidelines defining indications and the most appropriate technique for this procedure. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present four patients in whom we performed X-ray and neuronavigation-assisted transoval CS biopsies using tip-cut needles. CONCLUSION: The technique described allows the operator to determine the optimal angle for entering the CS, avoiding the complications due to distorted anatomy, and facilitating orientation once inside the CS. It reduces both radiation exposure as well as general anesthesia duration.

Adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy for treatment of papillary tumor of the pineal region.

BACKGROUND: We present a personal case of papillary pineocytoma in a 42-year-old woman. METHODS: The lesion was first treated surgically both for diagnostic aims and for resolution of the mass effect causing hydrocephalus and correlated neurological disturbances. Because the tumor recurred after surgery and radiotherapy, we decided to further treat the patient with chemotherapy, in particular with temozolomide. RESULTS: Currently, almost 9 years after the first treatment, the patient is symptom-free and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging shows no tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION: Although surgery should be considered the first-choice therapy, we think that temozolomide can be a valid option in case of recurrence of these rare tumors.

Multimodal approach to the management of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) due to solid tumors.

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of a multidisciplinary approach for treatment of patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression in terms of feasibility, local control, and survival. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eighty-nine consecutive patients treated between January 2004 and December 2007 were included. The most common primary cancers were lung, breast, and kidney cancers. Ninety-eight surgical procedures were performed. Radiotherapy was performed within the first month postoperatively. Clinical outcome was evaluated by modified visual analog scale for pain, Frankel scale for neurologic deficit, and magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scan. Nearly all patients (93%) had back pain before treatment, whereas major or minor preoperative neurologic deficit was present in 62 cases (63%). RESULTS: Clinical remission of pain was obtained in the vast majority of patients (91%). Improvement of neurologic deficit was observed in 45 cases (72.5%). Local relapse occurred in 10%. Median survival was 11 months (range, 0-46 months). Overall survival at 1 year was 43.6%. Type of primary tumor significantly affected survival. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression, the combination of surgery plus radiotherapy is feasible and provides clinical benefit in most patients. The discussion of each single case within a multidisciplinary team has been of pivotal importance in implementing the most appropriate therapeutic approach.