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Abstract
Spinal epidural space is a real anatomic space located outside the dura mater and within the spinal canal extending from foramen magnum to sacrum. Important contents of this space are epidural fat, spinal nerves, epidural veins and arteries. Due to close proximity of posterior epidural space to spinal cord and spinal nerves, the lesions present with symptoms of radiculopathy and/or myelopathy. In this pictorial essay, detailed anatomy of the posterior epidural space, pathologies affecting it along with imaging pearls to accurately diagnose them are discussed. Various pathologies affecting the posterior epidural space either arising from the space itself or occurring secondary to vertebral/intervertebral disc pathologies. Primary spinal bone tumors affecting the posterior epidural space have been excluded. The etiological spectrum affecting the posterior epidural space ranges from degenerative, infective, neoplastic - benign or malignant to miscellaneous pathologies. MRI is the modality of choice in evaluation of these lesions with CT scan mainly helpful in detecting calcification. Due to its excellent soft tissue contrast, Magnetic Resonance Imaging is extremely useful in assessing the pathologies of posterior epidural space, to know their entire extent, characterize them and along with clinical history and laboratory data, arrive at a specific diagnosis and guide the referring clinician. It is important to diagnose these lesions early so as to prevent permanent neurological complication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Foram B Gala
- Lifescan Imaging Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Zurich/Children's Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yashant Aswani
- Department of Radiology, TNMC and BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Jaiswal PA, Divakar G, Krishnakumar K, Karthikayan A, Sawakare Y, Mhatre R, Abraham M. Spinal angiolipoma-a rare but reversible cause of paraplegia in a child. Childs Nerv Syst 2020; 36:1121-1125. [PMID: 32052158 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-020-04542-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Spinal angiolipomas are benign spinal epidural tumors consisting of mature fat cells with angiomatous components. These tumors are rare in children and there are no definite management guidelines. METHOD To the best of our knowledge, only five cases of spinal angiolipomas have been reported in children below 12 years. This article discusses the presentation, diagnostics, and surgical tips for the management of a case of spinal angiolipoma. RESULT In this paper, we present a one and half-year-old child presenting with a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma from a spinal angiolipoma and underscore the importance of early surgery in a benign disease for a good outcome. CONCLUSION Overall neurological recovery and prognosis following timely intervention for spinal angiolipomas are good.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palak A Jaiswal
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Ganesh Divakar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
| | - K Krishnakumar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Arunkumar Karthikayan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Yogesh Sawakare
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Radhika Mhatre
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Benguluru, India
| | - Mathew Abraham
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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Yang X, Richard SA, Lei C, Liu J, Huang S. Spinal extradural angiolipoma: a report of two cases and review of literature. JOURNAL OF SPINE SURGERY 2018; 4:490-495. [PMID: 30069550 DOI: 10.21037/jss.2018.06.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Spinal extradural angiolipomas (SEALs) are extremely extraordinary benign extradural lesions. They are infrequently encountered in normal clinical practice although several authors have report single cases or case series. We present two cases of SEAL which we successfully surgical resected with no further neurological deficits. Our cases comprise of a male and a female with ages ranging from 30 to 60 years. Their principal presenting complains were numbness and pain at the lower extremity with associated fecal and urinary incontinence. In all our cases, MRI revealed extradural spinal lesions that exerted compressive effect on the spinal cord. The male patient had an infiltrating type while the female had non-infiltrating type. We attained total resection in both cases without any further neurological complication. The diagnosis of SEALs initially can be challenging radiologically since they may mimic other spinal lesions. The gold standard treatment modality should always be surgery although total resection may not be achievable in some cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Seidu A Richard
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Department of Immunology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.,Department of Surgery, Volta Regional Hospital, Ho, Ghana-West Africa
| | - Chuanfen Lei
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiagang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Siqing Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Shweikeh F, Sangtani A, Steinmetz MP, Zahos P, Chopko B. Spinal angiolipomas: A puzzling case and review of a rare entity. JOURNAL OF CRANIOVERTEBRAL JUNCTION AND SPINE 2017; 8:91-96. [PMID: 28694590 PMCID: PMC5490357 DOI: 10.4103/jcvjs.jcvjs_23_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with spinal epidural abscesses (SEAs) may have a variable presentation. Such an infection has a typical appearance on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and enhances with gadolinium. We present a case that was a diagnostic challenge where pre- and intra-operative findings resulted in conflicting impressions. The mimicker was a spinal angiolipoma (SAL). The authors then provide a thorough review of this rare spinal neoplasm. A 55-year-old man presented with back pain, paresis, paresthesia, and urinary retention. MRI was indicative of a longitudinal epidural thoracic mass with a signal homogeneous to nearby fat, curvilinear vessels, and lack of enhancement. Although at emergent surgery, the lesion was found to contain abundant purulent material. Microbiology was positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and consistent with SEA without evidence of neoplasia. While the imaging features were suggestive of an angiolipoma, the findings at surgery made SEA more likely, which were validated histopathologically. The diagnosis of SEA is often clear-cut, and the literature has reported only a few instances in which it masqueraded as another process such as lymphoma or myelitis. The case highlights SEA masquerading as an angiolipoma, and further demonstrates to clinicians that obtaining tissue diagnosis plays a crucial role diagnostically and therapeutically. SALs, on the other hand, are slow-growing tumors that can be infiltrating or noninfiltrating. They typically present with chronic symptoms and T1-MRI shows an inhomogeneous picture. Complete surgical excision is standard of care and patients tend to do well afterward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faris Shweikeh
- Summa Health System, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, USA.,College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, USA
| | - Ajleeta Sangtani
- College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, USA
| | - Michael P Steinmetz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Peter Zahos
- Department of Neurosurgery, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Bohdan Chopko
- College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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Benvenutti-Regato M, De la Garza-Ramos R, Caro-Osorio E. Thoracic epidural spinal angiolipoma with coexisting lumbar spinal stenosis: Case report and review of the literature. Int J Spine Surg 2015; 9:67. [PMID: 26767159 PMCID: PMC4710163 DOI: 10.14444/2067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinal angiolipomas (SALs) are uncommon benign lesions that may present insidiously with back pain or acutely with weakness due to tumor bleeding/thrombosis. Given their rarity, these lesions are often overlooked in the differential diagnosis of epidural masses. The purpose of this article is to report the case of an epidural SAL and to conduct a literature review on the topic. METHODS A case report and review of the literature using the PubMed/Medline databases. All case reports and case series were reviewed up to June 2015. RESULTS A 65-year old female presented with neurogenic claudication and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed lumbar spinal stenosis. Following decompressive surgery, she experienced symptom resolution, but three months postoperatively she presented to the emergency department with acute paraparesis. A thoracic MRI revealed a lesion located between T8 and T10 causing severe spinal cord compression. Following emergent laminectomy and en bloc resection, the patient regained function and the lesion was diagnosed as SAL. Our literature review revealed 178 reported cases, with a female and thoracic predominance. The majority of patients underwent surgical treatment, achieving a gross total resection in most cases. Similarly, complete symptom resolution was the most common outcome. CONCLUSION Spinal angiolipomas are uncommon spinal tumors. However, they may be treated as any other space-occupying lesion, and surgical resection allows for complete symptom recovery in most patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Benvenutti-Regato
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monterrey, México
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Institute, Centro Médico Hospital Zambrano Hellion, TecSalud, Monterrey, México
| | - Rafael De la Garza-Ramos
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monterrey, México
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Institute, Centro Médico Hospital Zambrano Hellion, TecSalud, Monterrey, México
| | - Enrique Caro-Osorio
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monterrey, México
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Institute, Centro Médico Hospital Zambrano Hellion, TecSalud, Monterrey, México
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Abstract
Angiolipomas of the spine are rare benign tumors commonly presenting with compressive myelopathy. The present report describes a case of spinal angiolipoma with thoracic mediastinal extension in a 50-year-old woman. She presented with a long-standing history of mid-back pain with progressive lower extremities weakness. An MRI showed a heterogeneously enhancing mass located in the posterior epidural space of the thoracic spine with mediastinal extension. Histopathological examination demonstrated features consistent with spinal angiolipoma. This report emphasizes the diagnosis and therapeutic management options of infiltrating spinal angiolipomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa M Nadi
- Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada. E-mail:
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Nakao Y, Shimokawa N, Tsukazaki Y, Terada A, Nakajo K, Fu Y. Radical excision combined with instrumented fixation in the management of thoracic epidural angiolipoma: a case report. J Med Case Rep 2014; 8:377. [PMID: 25412677 PMCID: PMC4275755 DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-8-377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Spinal angiolipoma is a benign uncommon neoplasm composed of mature lipocytes admixed with abnormal blood vessels. They account for only 0.04% to 1.2% of all spinal tumors. We present a case of thoracic epidural angiolipoma treated by combining radical resection with instrumented spinal fixation, without any surgical complication. Case presentation A 32-year-old Asian woman presented with dorsal epidural angiolipoma at the upper-thoracic level. She had a seven-month history of gradually worsening weakness and numbness in her lower extremities. Imaging studies of her thoracic spine demonstrated a heterogeneously well-enhancing mass, located in her posterior epidural space without surrounding bone erosion at the upper thoracic level. We also observed compression of her thoracic cord. During surgery, a reddish-gray, highly vascularized mass was excised. Her facet joints had to be resected to expose the part migrating into the intervertebral foramen. Because there was concern regarding the stability of her thoracic spine, we performed spinal fixation using pedicle screws. Histopathological study of the surgical specimen showed a typical angiolipoma. Conclusion Angiolipomas can be radically excised with good prognosis. Surgical removal is the preferred treatment for spinal angiolipoma, and the prognosis after surgical management is very good. Although outcomes remained favorable despite incomplete resections in a number of spinal angiolipoma, complete removal is preferred. We successfully achieved total resection without any surgical complication by combining radical resection with instrumented spinal fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoki Nakao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tsukazaki Hospital, 68-1, Waku, Aboshiku, Himeji 6711106, Japan.
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Spinal extradural angiolipoma: report of two cases and review of the literature. EUROPEAN SPINE JOURNAL : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE EUROPEAN SPINE SOCIETY, THE EUROPEAN SPINAL DEFORMITY SOCIETY, AND THE EUROPEAN SECTION OF THE CERVICAL SPINE RESEARCH SOCIETY 2009; 18:324-35. [PMID: 19127373 DOI: 10.1007/s00586-008-0858-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2008] [Revised: 10/26/2008] [Accepted: 12/10/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Spinal angiolipomas are benign uncommon neoplasm composed of mature lipocytes admixed with abnormal blood vessels. They account for only 0.04-1.2% of all spinal tumors. We report two cases of lumbar extradural angiolipoma and review previously reported cases. We found 118 cases of spinal epidural angiolipoma (70 females and 48 males; age range 1.5-85 years, mean 44.03) spanning from 1890 to 2006. Prior to diagnosis 40.6% of the patients had weakness of the lower limbs. The interval between the initial symptoms and tumor diagnosis ranged from 1 day to 17 years (mean 20.2 months). Except for four cases diagnosed at autopsy, 109 patients underwent surgery and gross-total resection was performed in 79 cases (72.4%). Spinal angiolipomas are tumors containing angiomatous and lipomatous tissue, predominantly located in the mid-thoracic region. All angiolipomas show iso- or hyperintensity on T1-weighted images and hyperintensity on T2-weighted images and most lesions enhance with gadolinium administration. The treatment for spinal extradural angiolipomas is total surgical resection and no adjuvant therapy should be administered.
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Abstract
Angiolipomas are neoplasms composed of mature adipocytes admixed with abnormal vascular elements. They are most commonly found in the subcutaneous tissue of the trunk and extremities, but other sites have been reported. The craniospinal axis is an uncommon but significant site. An extensive review of the literature is conducted. We summarize 94 cases of angiolipomas in the central nervous system (CNS) in 92 patients, including five in our own series, to highlight the most prominent features of these tumors. The increasing number of cases of CNS angiolipoma in the era of magnetic resonance imaging raises the question of the rarity of these lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Andaluz
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Neuroscience Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Abstract
We report the case of a young patient with a thoracolumbar (T11-L3) intramedullary angiolipoma. Total removal of the tumor was possible and after operation the patient's neurological condition greatly improved. Only two previous cases of intramedullary angiolipomas have been reported, and in neither could the lesion be wholly removed. The histopathological and radiological features of these tumors are discussed and the extreme rareness of this case is emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Maggi
- Division of Neurosurgery, Santobono Hospital, Naples, Italy
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Krishnan VB, Law AJ, Kenwright DN. Spinal extradural angiolipoma. THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF SURGERY 1996; 66:194-6. [PMID: 8639145 DOI: 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1996.tb01159.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- V B Krishnan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wellington Hospital, New Zealand
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