title: Therapeutic strategy and outcome of spine tumors in pregnancy: a report of 21 cases and literature review.
abstract: METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To illustrate the characteristics of spine tumors during pregnancy and obtain better insight into therapeutic strategies of such tumors by analyzing 21 cases treated in Changzheng Hospital and reviewing previous reports in the literature.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The concurrence of spine tumors and pregnancy is relatively rare. There are controversies over the treatment options for this disease, which increase the difficulty of the clinical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2002 and 2013, 21 pregnant patients were identified with spine tumors. Clinical data including symptoms, signs, treatment options, and obstetrical and neonatal outcomes were recorded and preserved. Clinical data and treatment efficacy were analyzed via medical record review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the 21 patients was 28.87 years (interquartile range, 6.00 yr). Tumor types in this series were giant cell tumor (5 cases), hemangioma (5 cases), schwannoma (4 cases), eosinophilic granuloma (2 cases), neurofibroma (1 case), multiple myeloma (1 case), and with metastatic tumor (3 cases). Two patients underwent spine surgery during pregnancy and 8 patients accepted tumor resection immediately after delivery. Pregnancy termination occurred in 5 patients, whereas the rest of the patients smoothly gave birth to healthy babies including 3 premature infants. Two patients died and 2 patients experienced local recurrence during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With close observation, it was found that most of pregnant patients with benign spine tumors could postpone surgery after delivery. Surgical treatment should be adopted during pregnancy when patients are with highly malignant tumor or experience a sharp deterioration and the guard of it is safer than radiotherapy and chemotherapy during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  4.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Bone Tumor Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Huabin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Zhenxi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Dianwen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jianru
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult