Surgical management of metastatic disease of the lumbar spine: experience with 139 patients

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 550-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Holman ◽  
Dima Suki ◽  
Ian McCutcheon ◽  
Jean-Paul Wolinsky ◽  
Laurence D. Rhines ◽  
...  

Object. The surgical treatment of metastatic spinal tumors is an essential component of the comprehensive care of cancer patients. In most large series investigators have focused on the treatment of thoracic lesions because 70% of cases involve this region. The lumbar spine is less frequently involved (20% cases), and it is unclear whether its unique anatomical and biomechanical features affect surgery-related outcomes. The authors present a retrospective study of a large series of patients with lumbar metastatic lesions, assessing neurological and pain outcomes, complications, and survival. Methods. The authors retrospectively reviewed data obtained in 139 patients who underwent 166 surgical procedures for lumbar metastatic disease between August 1994 and April 2001. The impact of operative approach on outcomes was also analyzed. Among the wide variety of metastatic lesions, pain was the most common presenting symptom (96%), including local pain, radicular pain, and axial pain due to instability. Patients underwent anterior, posterior, and combined approaches depending on the anatomical distribution of disease. One month after surgery, complete or partial improvement in pain was demonstrated in 94% of the cases. The median survival duration for the entire population was 14.8 months. Conclusions. The surgical treatment of metastatic lesions in the lumbar spine improved neurological and ambulatory function, significantly reducing axial spinal pain; results were comparable with those for other spinal regions. Analysis of results obtained in the present study suggests that outcomes are similar when the operative approach mirrors the anatomical distribution of disease. When lumbar vertebrectomy is necessary, however, anterior approaches minimize blood loss and wound-related complications.

1992 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Fujiwara ◽  
Shogo Mino ◽  
Seigo Nagao ◽  
Takashi Ohmoto

✓ A case of choriocarcinoma with brain and lung metastasis is reported. The patient was admitted for treatment of a cerebral hemorrhage from neoplastic aneurysms and, following removal of the hematoma and resection of the aneurysms, her carcinoma was successfully managed with chemotherapy. She has survived for 6 years after onset without neuroimaging evidence of recurrence. Surgical treatment of metastatic lesions followed by prolonged intensive chemotherapy are indicated for the improved prognosis of choriocarcinoma.


1974 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Epstein ◽  
Bernard S. Epstein ◽  
Leroy S. Lavine

✓ Effective relief of radicular pain and recovery of function is reported in four elderly patients with lumbar scoliosis following surgical decompression of the lateral recesses of the spinal canal. The operation includes laminectomy or hemilaminectomy with unroofing of the lateral recesses and foramina by medial facetectomy or facetectomy. The patients tolerated surgery without morbidity, were walking within 2 or 3 days, and recovered without incident. The pathological anatomy and operative criteria are discussed.


1974 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-247
Author(s):  
Ivan I. Ribaric

✓ The author reports the successful surgical treatment of an arteriovenous malformation of the basal ganglia. Follow-up angiography verified that the single supplying artery had been clipped. The operative approach to the malformation is discussed.


1976 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner L. Apt ◽  
Juan L. Fierro ◽  
Ciro Calderón ◽  
Carlos Pérez ◽  
Patricio Mujica

✓ The authors present 27 cases of vertebral hydatidosis with clinical and laboratory findings. The most frequent location of the lesion was the lumbar spine. Principal neurological symptoms were paraparesis, sphincter disturbances, paresthesia and paraplegia. The average number of surgical interventions per patient was 2.6; the most common procedure was laminectomy with extirpation of the cyst and surgical toilet. The results of surgical treatment were generally good in the immediate postoperative period, but long-term results were poor.


1971 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 416-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin E. MacGee

✓ Results in 27 cases of intracranial surgery for metastatic lung cancer are evaluated with regard to both the quality and duration of survival; 56% of the patients lived more than 1 year, with the longest survivor still living 32 months after operation. The operative mortality was 26%. These data suggest that intracranial surgery is worthwhile in patients with lung cancer when the cerebral metastasis is either solitary or single.


2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 596-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphaël Vialle ◽  
Antoine Feydy ◽  
Ludovic Rillardon ◽  
Carla Tohme-Noun ◽  
Philippe Anract ◽  
...  

✓ Chondroblastoma is a benign cartilaginous neoplasm that generally affects the appendicular skeleton. Twenty-six cases of spinal chondroblastoma have been reported in the past 50 years, only six of which were located in the lumbar region. The authors report two cases involving this exceptional location. In both patients, low-back pain, in the absence of radicular pain, was the presenting symptom. In both cases, plain radiography and computerized tomography scanning revealed an osteolytic lesion surrounded by marginal sclerosis. Magnetic resonance imaging allowed the authors to study the tumor's local extension. Examination of a percutaneous fluoroscopy-guided biopsy sample revealed the following typical histological features of chondroblastoma: chondroid tissue, focally alternating with cellular areas, and no nuclear atypia or pleomorphism. To reduce the risk of local recurrence, vertebrectomy and anterior—posterior fusion were performed in both cases. In one case, a structural lumbar scoliosis was corrected during the posterior procedure. There was no postoperative complication. No recurrence was observed during the 3- to 6-year follow-up period. The surgery-related results were deemed successful. Although exceptional, the diagnosis of chondroblastoma is possible in lesions involving the lumbar spine. Other spinal locations are described in the literature, and frequency of recurrence is stressed. A vertebrectomy is advised to reduce the risk of local recurrence.


2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashiro Ohyama ◽  
Yoshichika Kubo ◽  
Hiroo Iwata ◽  
Waro Taki

Object. An interbody fusion cage has been introduced for cervical anterior interbody fusion. Autogenetic bone is packed into the cage to increase the rate of union between adjacent vertebral bodies. Thus, donor site—related complications can still occur. In this study a synthetic ceramic, β—tricalcium phosphate (TCP), was examined as a substitute for autograft bone in a canine lumbar spine model. Methods. In 12 dogs L-1 to L-4 vertebrae were exposed via a posterolateral approach, and discectomy and placement of interbody fusion cages were performed at two intervertebral disc spaces. One cage was filled with autograft (Group A) and the other with TCP (Group B). The lumbar spine was excised at 16 weeks postsurgery, and biomechanical, microradiographic, and histological examinations were performed. Both the microradiographic and histological examinations revealed that fusion occurred in five (41.7%) of 12 operations performed in Group A and in six (50%) of 12 operations performed in Group B. The mean percentage of trabecular bone area in the cages was 54.6% in Group A and 53.8% in Group B. There were no significant intergroup differences in functional unit stiffness. Conclusions. Good histological and biomechanical results were obtained for TCP-filled interbody fusion cages. The results were comparable with those obtained using autograft-filled cages, suggesting that there is no need to harvest iliac bone or to use allo- or xenografts to increase the interlocking strength between the cage and vertebral bone to achieve anterior cervical interbody fusion.


1972 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Kushner ◽  
Eben Alexander ◽  
Courtland H. Davis ◽  
David L. Kelly ◽  
Annetta Horwitz Kushner

✓ This article discusses the nature and treatment of Crouzon's disease and reproduces a translation of part of Crouzon's original description. Six typical patients with this disease are presented, and the reasons for surgical treatment emphasized.


2003 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 863-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emad N. Eskandar ◽  
Alice Flaherty ◽  
G. Rees Cosgrove ◽  
Leslie A. Shinobu ◽  
Fred G. Barker

Object. The surgical treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) has undergone a dramatic shift, from stereotactic ablative procedures toward deep brain stimulaion (DBS). The authors studied this process by investigating practice patterns, mortality and morbidity rates, and hospital charges as reflected in the records of a representative sample of US hospitals between 1996 and 2000. Methods. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study by using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database; 1761 operations at 71 hospitals were studied. Projected to the US population, there were 1650 inpatient procedures performed for PD per year (pallidotomies, thalamotomies, and DBS), with no significant change in the annual number of procedures during the study period. The in-hospital mortality rate was 0.2%, discharge other than to home was 8.1%, and the rate of neurological complications was 1.8%, with no significant differences between procedures. In multivariate analyses, hospitals with larger annual caseloads had lower mortality rates (p = 0.002) and better outcomes at hospital discharge (p = 0.007). Placement of deep brain stimulators comprised 0% of operations in 1996 and 88% in 2000. Factors predicting placement of these devices in analyses adjusted for year of surgery included younger age, Caucasian race, private insurance, residence in higher-income areas, hospital teaching status, and smaller annual hospital caseload. In multivariate analysis, total hospital charges were 2.2 times higher for DBS (median $36,000 compared with $12,000, p < 0.001), whereas charges were lower at higher-volume hospitals (p < 0.001). Conclusions. Surgical treatment of PD in the US changed significantly between 1996 and 2000. Larger-volume hospitals had superior short-term outcomes and lower charges. Future studies should address long-term functional end points, cost/benefit comparisons, and inequities in access to care.


2002 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derk J. Hofstee ◽  
Johanna M. M. Gijtenbeek ◽  
Peter H. Hoogland ◽  
Hans C. van Houwelingen ◽  
Alfred Kloet ◽  
...  

Object. The authors conducted a study to compare the efficacies of three nonsurgical treatment strategies in patients with sciatica. Their hypothesis was that bed rest, physiotherapy, and continuation of activities of daily living (ADLs) (control treatment) are each of equivalent efficacy. Methods. This randomized controlled trial was designed for comparison of bed rest, physiotherapy, and continuation of ADLs. The setting was an outpatient clinic. General practitioners were asked to refer patients for treatment as soon as possible. The authors enrolled 250 patients (< 60 years of age) with sciatica of less than 1-month's duration and who had not yet been treated with bed rest or physiotherapy. Primary outcome measures were radicular pain (based on a visual analog pain scale [VAPS]) and hampered ADLs (Quebec Disability Scale [QDS]). Secondary outcome measures were the rates of treatment-related failure and surgical treatment. Measures were assessed at baseline and during follow up at 1, 2, and 6 months. Mean differences in VAPS and QDS scores between bed rest and control treatment were 2.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] −6.4 to 11.4) and −4.8 (95% CI −10.6 to 0.9) at 1 month and 0.9 (95% CI −8.7 to 10.4) and −2.7 (95% CI −9.9 to 4.4) at 2 months, respectively. The respective differences between physiotherapy and control treatment were 0.8 (95% CI −8.2 to 9.8) and −0.5 (95% CI −6.3 to 5.3) at 1 month and −0.3 (95% CI −9.4 to 10) and 0.0 (95% CI −7.2 to 7.3) at 2 months. The respective odds ratios for treatment failure and surgical treatment of bed rest compared with control treatment were 1.6 (95% CI 0.8–3.5) and 1.5 (95% CI 0.7–3.6) at 6 months. When physiotherapy was compared with control treatment, these ratios were 1.5 (95% CI 0.7–3.2) and 1.2 (95% CI 0.5–2.9) at 6 months, respectively. Conclusions. Bed rest and physiotherapy are not more effective in acute sciatica than continuation of ADLs.


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