Complete segmental resection of the spine, including the spinal cord, for telangiectatic osteosarcoma: a report of 2 cases.
METHODS
Two case reports of telangiectatic osteosarcoma treated with complete segmental resection of the spine, including the spinal cord.


OBJECTIVE
To report the en bloc tumor excision, including the spinal cord, for telangiectatic osteosarcoma, and discuss the indication of cord transection and influence after cutting the spinal cord.


BACKGROUND
To our knowledge, there are no previous reports describing telangiectatic osteosarcoma of the spine and the subsequent en bloc excision of the spine, including the spinal cord.


METHODS
The clinical and radiographic presentations of 2 cases with telangiectatic osteosarcoma are presented. Because these 2 cases already had complete paralysis for at least 1 month, it was suspected that there was no possibility of recovering spinal cord function. Complete segmental spinal resection (total en bloc spondylectomy) was performed. At that level, the spinal cord was also cut and resected.


RESULTS
En bloc excision of the tumor with a wide margin was achieved in both cases. In the resected specimen, the nerve cells in the spinal cord had lapsed into degenerative necrosis. The pathologic findings showed that there was no hope for recovery of spinal cord function.


CONCLUSIONS
En bloc spinal resection, including the spinal cord, is an operation allowed when there is no hope for recovery of spinal cord function. This surgery should be accepted as an option in spine tumor surgeries.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. hmuraka@med.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Hideki
H
Murakami
Katsuro
K
Tomita
Norio
N
Kawahara
Makoto
M
Oda
Tetsutaro
T
Yahata
Takehiko
T
Yamaguchi
D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*