title: Primary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the lumbar spine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary epitheliod hemangioendotheliomas of the lumbar spine are extremely rare tumors with an unpredictable clinical course.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To present a case of primary lumbar epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and its treatment protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  A tertiary Spinal Unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  A previously healthy adult with persisting low back pain and neurologic deficit.
  
  
  METHODS
  The diagnosis was confirmed by core needle biopsy. The patient was treated with preoperative embolization followed by staged surgery which included wide tumor resection and spinal fixation, using a cage system and a titanium plate anteriorly and a transpedicular fixation system posteriorly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three years postoperatively the patient remains free of symptoms with no evidence of recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment of these unpredictable tumors should be dictated by adherence to general oncologic principles.
authors.affiliation: Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, G. Papanikolaou Hospital, Exohi, TK 57010, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christodoulou
authors.forename: Panagiotis D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Symeonidis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kapoutsis
authors.forename: Fotis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iordanidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D018323:Hemangioendothelioma, Epithelioid / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed