title: Pediatric Upper Cervical Spine Giant Cell Tumor: Case Report.
abstract: Study Design Case report. Objective The purpose of this work is to report the case of a giant cell tumor involving the second cervical vertebra in a pediatric patient. Surgical management included a combined posterior and anterior cervical approach. There has been no recurrence in 2 years of follow-up. Case Report A 13-year-old girl presented with scoliosis with incidentally lytic lesion involving the second cervical vertebra. The radiologic investigations and biopsy result indicated a giant cell tumor of the bone. A combined posterior and anterior cervical approach was performed to resect the lesion, reconstruct the spine, and restore stability. Two years of follow-up revealed no recurrence of the lesion with stable reconstruction of the spine. Results The lesion was surgically managed for excision and spinal fusion by combining a posterior occipitocervical arthrodesis with an anterior retropharyngeal cervical approach. The final histopathology result confirmed a giant cell tumor of the bone. Conclusions Giant cell tumor involving the second cervical vertebra is uncommon; this tumor can be managed surgically by using a combined posterior and anterior cervical retropharyngeal approach. The presented case was unique in terms of the tumor location, patient age, and surgical management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammad D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Alfawareh
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Irfanullah D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Tamer I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Orief
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammad M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Halawani
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Walid I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, National Neuroscience Institute, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Khaled N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Almusrea
keywords: C2 fixation; C2 tumors; giant cell tumor; pediatric tumors; retropharyngeal approach