title: Giant multilevel thoracic hemangioma with spinal cord compression in a patient with Klippel-Weber-Trenaunay syndrome: case report.
abstract: METHODS
  Case report and clinical discussion.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We intend to report a very rare case of a giant spinal hemangioma causing myelopathy.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Multilevel symptomatic spinal hemangiomas causing acute neurologic symptoms are rare disorders. We found only sporadic reports in English literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe a very rare case in which Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome is associated with a multisegmental vertebral hemangioma causing a rapidly progressing thoracic myelopathy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Because of the extension of the disease, surgical intervention was not feasible, the patient was treated by radiotherapy. The patient showed a complete regression of symptoms with stable condition after 3 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In extensive spinal hemangiomas, radiotherapy may represent a safe treatment modality with rapid clinical improvement even in cases with spinal cord compression. This report contributes to a wide range of known vascular abnormalities in Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome and supports the need for a careful multisystemic evaluation of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neursurgery, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Germany. Stefan.grau@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Stefan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holtmannspoetter
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seelos
authors.forename: Joerg-Christian
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tonn
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siefert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D007715:Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000528:radiation effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome