title: [Surgical treatment of symptomatic cervical vertebral hemangioma associated with cervical spondylotic myelopathy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the treatment methods and the clinical therapeutic effects of symptomatic cervical vertebral hemangioma associated with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was performed in 18 patients (10 males and 8 females, aged 30-62 years with an average age of 45.3 years) with cervical vertebral hemangioma associated with cervical spondylotic myelopathy between January 2006 and September 2008. The disease duration was 10-26 months (mean, 15.6 months). All patients had single vertebral hemangioma, including 2 cases at C3, 3 cases at C4, 5 cases at C5, 5 cases at C6, and 3 cases at C7. The X-ray films showed a typical "palisade" change. According to the clinical and imaging features, there were 13 cases of type II and 5 cases of type IV of cervical hemangioma. The standard anterior cervical decompression and fusion with internal fixation were performed and then percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) was used. The cervical X-ray films were taken to observe bone cement distribution and the internal fixation after operation. The recovery of neurological function and the neck pain relief were measured by Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and visual analogue scale (VAS) score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All operations were successful with no spinal cord and nerves injury, and the incisions healed well. Anterior bone cement leakage occurred in 2 cases without any symptoms. All cases were followed up 24-28 months (mean, 26 months) and the symptoms were improved at different degrees without fracture and collapse of vertebra or recurrence of hemangioma. During the follow-up, there was no implant loosening, breakage and displacement, and the mean fusion time was 4 months (range, 3-4.5 months). The JOA score and VAS score had a significant recovery at 3 months and at last follow-up when compared with preoperative values (P < 0.05). Based on JOA score at last follow-up, the results were excellent in 9 cases, good in 6 cases, fair in 2 cases, and poor in 1 case.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anterior cervical decompression and fusion with internal fixation combined with PVP treatment is one of the ideal ways to treat symptomatic cervical vertebral hemangioma associated with cervical spondylotic myelopathy, which could completely decompress the spinal cord and effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms caused by vertebral hemangioma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spinal Surgery, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang Hebei, 050051, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fajing
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Wenyuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Dalong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jiaxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000601:surgery; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome