Abstract
Background
Aggressive vertebral hemangiomas are rare tumors in children, usually occurring in the thoracic spine that can cause significant neurological morbidity. They are technically difficult to treat with significant risk of blood loss during surgery.
Methods
We describe a case of aggressive vertebral hemangioma managed in our institution. We performed a literature review of reported cases of aggressive vertebral hemangiomas in pediatric age group. We discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of these lesions.
Results
We identified 23 cases of aggressive vertebral reported in children. Neurodeficit was the most common presentation, and the most common location was the thoracic spine. Surgery was the most common modality of treatment. All the patients reported in literature had improvement in their symptoms after treatment.
Conclusion
Although technically challenging, aggressive vertebral hemangiomas have a good outcome after treatment. Treatment should be tailored to the individual patient. Further studies are needed to determine the optimum treatment strategy.
Similar content being viewed by others
Availability of data and material
All available data are presented in the article.
References
Cloran FJ, Pukenas BA, Loevner LA et al (2015) Aggressive spinal haemangiomas: imaging correlates to clinical presentation with analysis of treatment algorithm and clinical outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20140771
Issa M, Lucas G, Violas P et al (2015) Vertebroplasty for vertebral hemangioma in children: a report of two cases with 2-year follow-up. Childs Nerv Syst 31:2179–2183. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00381-015-2777-4
Sahajwalla D, Vorona G, Tye G et al (2021) Aggressive vertebral hemangioma masquerading as neurological disease in a pediatric patient. Radiol case reports 16:1107–1112. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RADCR.2021.02.023
Vasudeva VS, Chi JH, Groff MW (2016) Surgical treatment of aggressive vertebral hemangiomas. Neurosurg Focus 41. https://doi.org/10.3171/2016.5.FOCUS16169
Manning HJ (1951) Symptomatic Hemangioma of the Spine1. 56:58–65. https://doi.org/10.1148/56.1.58
Kim Y, Taihi L, Viry F et al (2020) Aggressive vertebral hemangioma: a post-bioptic finding, the gas web sign-report of two cases. BJR case reports 6:20190091. https://doi.org/10.1259/BJRCR.20190091
Robinson Y, Sheta R, Salci K, Willander J (2015) Blood loss in surgery for aggressive vertebral haemangioma with and without embolisation. Asian Spine J 9:483. https://doi.org/10.4184/ASJ.2015.9.3.483
Hekster REM, Luyendijk W, Tan TI (1972) Spinal-cord compression caused by vertebral haemangioma relieved by percutaneous catheter embolisation. Neuroradiology 3:160–164. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341502
Raco A, Ciappetta P, Artico M et al (1990) Vertebral hemangiomas with cord compression: the role of embolization in five cases. Surg Neurol 34:164–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-3019(90)90067-Y
Smith TP, Koci T, Mehringer CM et al (1993) Transarterial embolization of vertebral hemangioma. J Vasc Interv Radiol 4:681–685. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1051-0443(93)71948-X
Kiroglu Y, Benek B, Yagci B et al (2009) Spinal cord compression caused by vertebral hemangioma being symptomatic during pregnancy. Surg Neurol 71:487–492. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SURNEU.2007.09.025
Heiss JD, Doppman JL, Oldfield EH (1994) Relief of spinal cord compression from vertebral hemangioma by intralesional injection of absolute ethanol. 331:508–511. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199408253310804
Goyal M, Mishra NK, Sharma A et al (1999) Alcohol ablation of symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 20:1091–1096
Doppman JL, Oldfield EH, Heiss JD (2000) Symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas: treatment by means of direct intralesional injection of ethanol1. 214:341–348. https://doi.org/10.1148/RADIOLOGY.214.2.R00FE46341
Singh PK, Chandra PS, Vaghani G et al (2016) Management of pediatric single-level vertebral hemangiomas presenting with myelopathy by three-pronged approach (ethanol embolization, laminectomy, and instrumentation): a single-institute experience. Childs Nerv Syst 32:307–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00381-015-2941-X
Djindjian M, Nguyen JP, Gaston A et al (1992) Multiple vertebral hemangiomas with neurological signs. Case report J Neurosurg 76:1025–1028. https://doi.org/10.3171/JNS.1992.76.6.1025
Fox MW, Onofrio BM (1993) The natural history and management of symptomatic and asymptomatic vertebral hemangiomas. J Neurosurg 78:36–45. https://doi.org/10.3171/JNS.1993.78.1.0036
Jiang L, Liu XG, Yuan HS et al (2014) Diagnosis and treatment of vertebral hemangiomas with neurologic deficit: a report of 29 cases and literature review. Spine J 14:944–954. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SPINEE.2013.07.450
Yang ZY, Zhang LJ, Chen ZX, Hu HY (1985) Hemangioma of the vertebral column. A report on twenty-three patients with special reference to functional recovery after radiation therapy. Acta Radiol Oncol 24:129–132. https://doi.org/10.3109/02841868509134375
Asthana AK, Tandon SC, Pant GC et al (1990) Radiation therapy for symptomatic vertebral haemangioma. Clin Oncol 2:159–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0936-6555(05)80151-7
Cherian J, Sayama CM, Adesina AM et al (2014) Multilevel thoracic hemangioma with spinal cord compression in a pediatric patient: case report and review of the literature. Childs Nerv Syst 30:1571–1576. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00381-014-2441-4
Uzunaslan D, Saygin C, Gungor S et al (2013) Novel use of propranolol for management of pain in children with vertebral hemangioma: report of two cases. Child’s Nerv Syst 295(29):855–860. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00381-012-2012-5
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Arunkumar Sekar: patient care and preparation of the final draft, Debjyothi Datta: first draft preparation, review of literature, and patient care, Parameshwar: review of literature and patient care, Krishna Mohan Gulla: patient care and final draft review, Sumit Bansal: patient care and final draft review.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Institute ethical standards followed. Consent to participate was taken from individual patient.
Consent for publication
Publication consent taken from the patient and the parent.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Sekar, A., Datta, D., Parameshwar et al. Aggressive vertebral hemangiomas in children. Childs Nerv Syst 39, 571–575 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-022-05760-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-022-05760-9