Diagnostik und Therapie der spinalen vaskulären Malformationen: Ein Update

Cavernous Malformations and Hemangioblastomas of the Spinal Cord Show Distinct Differences in Clinical Course - A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis of 112 Patients

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

Cavernous malformations (CMs) and hemangioblastomas (HBs) of the spinal cord exhibit distinct differences in histopathology but similarities in the neurological course. The aim of our study was to analyze the clinical differences between the vascular pathologies and a benign tumor of the spinal cord in a perioperative situation.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who had undergone surgery for lesions in the spinal cord between 1984 and 2015. Patients were screened for CMs and HBs as the primary inclusion criteria. General patient information, surgical data, and disease-specific data were collected from the records. Cooper-Epstein scores for clinical symptoms were evaluated preoperatively, at discharge, and at the 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 112 patients were included, of which 46 had been diagnosed with CMs and 66 with HBs. Patients with CMs often demonstrated more preoperative neurological deterioration compared to those with HBs (P < .05); accordingly, in took longer to diagnose HBs. Complete resection was possible for 96.8% of all patients with CMs and 90% of those with HBs. At the 6-month follow-up, patients with HBs more often presented with persisting neurologic impairment of the upper extremities compared to the CM patients (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

CMs and HBs of the spinal cord have similarities but also exhibit significant differences in neurological presentation and perioperative course. Surgical therapy is the treatment of choice for symptomatic lesions, and complete surgical resection is possible in the majority of cases for both entities. Neurologic outcomes are usually favorable, although patients with HBs retain neurologic deficits more often.

The Long-Term Outcome in a Cohort of 52 Patients With Symptomatic Intramedullary Spinal Cavernous Hemangioma After Microsurgery and Emergency Rescue Surgery

Background

Surgery is the mainstay treatment for patients with symptomatic intramedullary spinal cavernous hemangioma (ISCH), however the time of surgical intervention remains controversial. In this study, we proposed emergency rescue surgery (ERS) for patients in deteriorative type. The prognostic factors of patients with ISCH after microsurgery and the clinical effect of ERS were analyzed.

Methods

From January 2013 to November 2019, 52 patients with symptomatic ISCH treated by microsurgical treatment were collected, ranging in age from 17 to 66 years old (mean: 45.8 ± 13.5 years). The course of the disease ranged from 2 days to 20 years. Of 52 lesions, 17 lesions were in the cervical segment, 25 in the thoracic segment, and 10 in the lumbosacral segment; while seven cases were at the ventral surface, 25 cases at the dorsal surface, and 20 cases at the central spinal cord. The sagittal diameter ranged from 1 to 58 mm (median: 17.3 mm). The transverse diameter ratio ranged from 20 to 80% (median: 50.7%). Thirty-two patients were diagnosed as deteriorative type and 22 were treated by ERS.

Results

At 12 months after surgery, all patients were followed up, and no residual or recurrence was found in all patients. Twenty-five patients (48.1%) showed spinal cord functional improvement after surgery; 25 (48.1%) had no functional change; 2 (3.8%) got worse. For deteriorative patients, ERS group had a significantly higher improvement rate than the non-ERS group (χ² = 5.393, P = 0.02); For all 52 patients, the factors as a lesion at the ventral surface (Z = 10.453, P = 0.015), or lumbosacral segment (χ² = 9.259, P = 0.010) and longer course of disease (Z = -2.021, P = 0.043) were potential risks in functional recovery in univariate analysis; and in multiple-factor analysis, the lesion at the lumbosacral segment (OR = 4.004, 95% CI: 1.341~11.961, P = 0.013) was the independent risk factors for the functional recovery.

Conclusions

Microsurgical resection is safe and effective for symptomatic ISCH. The ERS is an effective way to improve deteriorative patients' spinal cord function at long-term follow-up. The lesion at the lumbosacral segment is one of the poor prognostic factors.

Intramedullary spinal cavernoma: clinical presentation, microsurgical approach, and long-term outcome in a cohort of 48 patients

OBJECT Intramedullary spinal cavernoma (ISC) is a rare entity and accounts for approximately 5%-12% of all spinal vascular pathologies. The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of clinical presentation, localization, and different surgical approaches on long-term outcome in patients treated for ISC. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective single-center study of 48 cases of ISC treated microsurgically over the past 28 years. Analyzed factors included preoperative clinical history, microsurgical strategies, neurological outcome (American Spinal Injury Association [ASIA] grade, Epstein and Cooper grade), and the occurrence of postoperative spinal ataxia. Univariate analysis was performed to identify factors influencing long-term outcome. RESULTS Preoperatively, 18.8% of all patients experienced a slow, progressive decline in neurological function and 33.3% suffered repetitive episodes of acute neurological deterioration over a time frame of months to years. Moreover, 16.7% noted the sudden onset of a severe neurological deficit, whereas 25% experienced the sudden onset of symptoms with a subsequent gradually progressive decline in neurological function. On long-term follow-up after treatment (mean ± SD, 79.3 ± 35.2 months), 70.8% of patients showed no change in neurological function, 6.3% suffered from a decline, and 22.9% improved neurologically. Thoracolumbar localization (p = 0.043), low preoperative Epstein and Cooper grade for the lower extremities (p < 0.001), and a low preoperative ASIA grade (p < 0.001) were identified as factors associated with an unfavorable outcome (ASIA Grade A-C). The rate of spinal ataxia related to surgical approach was 16.7%. CONCLUSION Postoperative neurological function in ISC patients is determined by the preoperative neurological status. On long-term follow-up after microsurgical treatment, 93.7% of patients presented with a stable or improved condition (ASIA grade); thus, definite microsurgical treatment should be considered as long as patients present with only mild symptoms after the diagnosis of symptomatic ISC.