Magnetic resonance imaging of spine tumors: classification, differential diagnosis, and spectrum of disease

Kyphoplasty in the treatment of occult and non-occult metastatic vertebral tumors

To compare the efficacy and safety of kyphoplasty (KP) in the treatment of occult metastatic vertebral tumors (OMVT) and non-occult metastatic vertebral tumors (MVT).From January 2013 to December 2017, 65 cases of occult metastatic vertebral tumors and 82 cases of metastatic vertebral tumors were selected and divided into 2 groups. After KP, they were followed up by a year of outpatient visits and telephone calls. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, the amount of bone cement injected, the change of vertebral height and the incidence of complications were recorded, compared and analyzed by SPSS software. t test was used to compare the differences between the same group of patients at different times and between the 2 groups of patients.In the OMVT group, the operation time was 24.52 ± 4.24 minutes, the fluoroscopy time was 10.18 ± 1.53 minutes and the volume of bone cement was 3.62 ± 0.93 ml. The VAS score decreased from 7.26 ± 01.08 preoperatively to 2.77 ± 0.93 postoperatively (P < .01). The ODI score decreased from 64.89 ± 9.05 preoperatively to 25.82 ± 4.63 postoperatively (P < .01). In the MVT group, the operation time was 26.63 ± 4.61 minutes, the fluoroscopy time was 11.04 ± 2.15 minutes and the volume of bone cement was 4.09 ± 1.10 ml. The VAS score decreased from 7.73 ± 0.94 preoperatively to 3.22 ± 0.80 postoperatively (P < .01). The ODI score decreased from 69.20 ± 7.14 preoperatively to 28.02 ± 4.40 postoperatively (P < .01). The vertebral height of MVT patients was significantly improved after operation (P < .01), but there was no difference in OMVT patients (P > .05).Occult metastatic vertebral tumors can be detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and KP may be more effective and safer in the treatment of OMVT.

Systematic review on the utility of magnetic resonance imaging for operative management and follow-up for primary sarcoma-lessons from extremity sarcomas

Primary sarcomas of the vertebral column affect roughly 5 in every million persons annually, of which half to one-third are malignant. Treatment of these lesions requires multimodal management, often employing attempts at en bloc resection of the lesion with negative margins. This may be facilitated using magnetic resonance imaging for preoperative margin planning, but current literature is lacking regarding the use of such imaging to accurately predict planned surgical margins. Here we review prior studies describing the use of magnetic resonance imaging for en bloc resection of sarcomas of the extremities to identify learning points for application to the treatment of spinal neoplasms. We conducted a systematic review of the PubMed and EMBASE literature. Included studies described the accuracy of MRI for preoperative evaluation of tumor margins, intraoperative guidance for en bloc resection, or post-operative evaluation of residual or recurrent disease. All included studies described patients treated for osseous or soft tissue sarcoma of the limbs. We found 1,705 unique references of which 27 met criteria for inclusion. Seven studies reported MR had an overall diagnostic accuracy of 93.6-96% for preoperative margin evaluation with non-contrast T1 most accurately reflecting true margins. In the nine articles reporting results of MR-guided resection, negative margins were achieved in 88.8-100% of cases with a closest margin of 2-4 mm. Eleven articles combined reported the accuracy of MR for residual disease or local recurrence, with a mean sensitivity and specificity of 71.7% and 79.3%, respectively for residual disease and 87.9% and 85.9%, respectively for local recurrence. The current literature for appendicular musculoskeletal sarcoma suggests that MR is highly accurate for defining tumor margins preoperatively, guiding osteotomy cuts intraoperatively, and documenting recurrence or residual disease. Further evidence is necessary to evaluate the degree to which it can accurately guide osteotomy planning for en bloc resection of vertebral primaries.

Posterior epidural disc fragment masquerading as spinal tumor: Review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment is infrequent because of anatomical barriers, and it is difficult to diagnose posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment because of its rare incidence and the ambiguity of radiologic evaluations. And it is difficult to differentiate it from other diseases such as spinal tumors.

OBJECTIVE

Differential diagnosis of posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment is clinically important because its diagnosis can affect treatment and prognosis. To investigate the incidence, anatomical concern, etiology, symptom, diagnostic tool, management and prognosis of posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment, we reviewed articles including case report.

METHODS

We performed a search of all clinical studies of posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment published to date. The following keywords were searched: Posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment, disc migration, posterior epidural disc, extradural migration, dorsal epidural migration, sequestrated disc, and disc fragment.

RESULTS

We identified 40 patients of posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment from 28 studies. The most common presentation of posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment was sudden onset radiculopathy (70.0%), followed by cauda equina syndrome (27.5%). The most frequently used diagnostic modality was magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), conducted in 36 cases (90.0%), and followed by computed tomography in 14 cases (35.0%). After the imaging studies, the preoperative diagnoses were 45.0% masses, 20.0% lesions, and 12.5% tumors. Characteristic MRI findings in posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment are helpful for diagnosis; it typically displays low signals on T1-weighted images and high signals on T2-weighted images with respect to the parent disc. In addition, most of the disc fragments show peripheral rim enhancement on MRI with gadolinium administration. Electrodiagnostic testing is useful for verifying nerve damage. Surgical treatment was performed in all cases, and neurologic complications were observed in 12.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

As posterior epidural lumbar disc fragment could be masqueraded as spinal tumor, if rim enhancement is observed in MRI scans with sudden symptoms of radiculopathy or cauda equina syndrome, it should be taken into consideration. Early diagnosis can lead to early surgery, which can reduce complications.

Two Cases with Incidental Finding of Large Asymptomatic Intradural Lumbar Tumors

Benign lumbar intradural tumors are statistically uncommon and usually present with complaints of back pain with or without radicular neurological complaints. This report involves two separate patients that were found incidentally to have large intradural tumors without any neurologic complaints. In both cases the tumors were discovered when having magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after minor auto accidents. Neither patient had any pre-existing lumbar or neurologic complaints. The report will review the different regions and types of incidental findings commonly seen on lumbar MRI scans and the need for close follow-up in patients with incidental lesions such as tumors.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques for Management of Painful Metastatic and Primary Spinal Tumors

Patients with metastatic spinal disease are affected by disabling pain. The treatment of spinal metastases is focused on pain reduction and improvement in quality of life. Until recently, many patients with metastatic spinal disease did not qualify as surgical candidates due to the risks of surgery and length of recovery period. However, recent advances in minimally invasive surgery such as kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty allow patients to safely undergo surgery for pain relief with a short recovery period.

The studies reviewed here suggest that vertebral augmentation is successful in reducing pain and disability scores in patients with painful metastases and multiple myeloma and are a safe modality to provide lasting pain relief. As the use of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty for treatment of vertebral metastases is becoming more common, new combinations of cement augmentation with other techniques such as percutaneous pedicle screws and radiofrequency ablation are being explored. The implementation of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty, in conjunction with other minimally invasive surgical techniques as well as nonsurgical modalities, may lead to the best palliative management of cancer patients with spinal metastases and help them ultimately achieve a better quality of life.

Spinal intradural extramedullary mature cystic teratoma in an adult: A rare tumor with review of literature

Background:

Spinal intradural extramedullary teratoma is a rare condition, more common in children than in adults often with a history of spinal dysraphism.

Method:

We reviewed the literature and Pubmed advanced search showed nine results of intradural extramedullary teratoma in adults which included five independent case reports and three cases in a case series. We reported a rare case of intradural extramedullary teratoma in an adult located opposite L4 vertebra with neither spinal dysraphism nor any history of the prior spinal procedure.

Results:

The occurrence of teratomas in the spine is extremely rare. Further, spinal intradural extramedullary teratoma is more common in children but a rare entity in adults.

Conclusion:

Although uncommon, spinal cord neoplasm should be considered in the differential diagnosis of backache or radicular pain associated with neurological deficits even in absence of spinal dysraphism or any spinal procedure.

Spinal meningiomas. Personal experience and review of literature

Background: to present personal experience in the surgical management of spinal meningiomas, also the literature results review too.

Methods: 32 patients (4 men and 28 women) harboring spinal meningiomas who had undergone microsurgical resection were treated between 2002 and 2012 in our department. Clinical presentation, diagnosis, histological examination, microsurgical resection, functional outcome were evaluated, defining potential prognosis factors associated with these lesions.

Results: tumors site was intradural, extramedullary with different topography: the most common the thoracic region, posterolateral and antero-lateral. In all cases neurologic improvement was noted after operation, without instability, despite the extent of preoperative deficits. Transient motor deficits were observed in 2 thoracal anterior placed tumors without mortality. In 2 cases with semimaligne meningioma (6,25%) recurrence was noted at one and two years after first operation, initial diagnosis was transitional type meningioma.

Conclusion: benign spinal meningiomas should have always early diagnosis and microsurgical total resection for a good outcome. For semimalignant or even malignant cases, radiotherapy should be considered.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis of spine: a comparative study of clinical, imaging features, and diagnosis in children, adolescents, and adults

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) of the spine has been well documented in the literature, but most studies concern management of the disease. No focused report on the differences in clinical and radiographic features of spinal LCH among children, adolescents, and adults exists.

PURPOSE

To review and stress the clinical and imaging differences of spinal LCH in children, adolescents, and adults to avoid false diagnosis.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective study of children and adults with LCH of the spine.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Consecutive patients treated at our institution.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Visual analog scale for pain, Frankel scale for neurologic status, and X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for imaging.

METHODS

Seventy-six patients with pathology-proven LCH involving the spine were treated at our institution between 1996 and 2010. Only patients with spine involvement pathologically and/or radiographically were included. Two groups were identified based on the age. Group I comprised children and adolescents (age <18 years; n=40) and Group II comprised adults (age ≥18 years; n=36). Analysis included age and gender distribution, clinical presentation, and imaging features and diagnosis. Pathologic diagnosis was performed by needle or open biopsy of the lesions.

RESULTS

Of the 76 patients, 55 were male and 21 were female (ratio of 2.62:1). Neck or back pain was the most common symptom in all patients and was the only presenting symptom in some patients. Restricted motion of spine was the most frequent symptom secondary to pain. Thirty-seven patients presented with neurologic symptoms. Adult patients were more likely to suffer neurologic deficits (p<.005). The distribution of lesions revealed predominance in the cervical spine, followed by thoracic and lumbosacral spine. Plain radiology of children and adolescents with spinal LCH usually revealed a typical vertebral plana, but the adult patients represented different severity of vertebral collapse without typical features. The images of CT scans between the two groups were similar, and all revealed lytic lesions in vertebral bodies and/or posterior elements. In Group I, lesions showed hypointense on T1-weighted images in 15 cases and isointense in 25 cases. Nineteen patients presented as intermediate to slight high signal on T2-weighted images, and the remaining patients presented as hyperintense on T2-weighted images. In Group II, lesions showed hypointense on T1-weighted images in 29 cases, isointense on T1-weighted images in seven cases, and hyperintense on T2-weighted images in 36 cases. Paraspinal soft tissue mass was detected in 28 and 23 cases in Group I and Group II, respectively. Fifteen children and adolescent patients versus 23 adult patients had epidural spinal cord compression. Oversleeve-like or dumbbell sign was observed in 21 cases in Group I but only in four cases in Group II.

CONCLUSIONS

The most common clinical manifestations of LCH of the spine were neck or back pain, followed by restricted motion of spine, neurologic symptoms, and deformity. Neurologic deficits were more frequent in adult patients. Vertebral plana is the typical imaging feature in children and adolescent patients but seldom in adults. Computed tomography is best for characterizing anatomy of the involved vertebra, and MRI is best for delineating marrow and soft tissue. The oversleeve-like sign on MRI may be a feature of spinal LCH as well as vertebra plana in children and adolescents. Needle biopsy under CT guidance should be performed before a treatment strategy is determined.

Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of primary intraspinal peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumour

PURPOSE

The purpose of our study was to describe the salient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in primary intraspinal peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET).

METHODS

A retrospective review of the clinical and MRI images of 7 pathologically proven cases of intraspinal peripheral PNETs was performed. The various parameters, such as vertebral level of involvement; tumour location, size, focality, and margin; signal intensity of the lesion; the presence of hemorrhage or calcification; any signal voids; assessment of the adjacent cord for cord compression; cord dilatation; the presence of paraspinal tissue mass; or vertebral or other bony changes, were analysed.

RESULTS

All 7 patients had lesions in the thoracolumbar region. Three patients had extradural lesions, 4 had intradural extramedullary lesions, and none had intramedullary lesions. Six lesions were well circumscribed. Only 1 patient had multifocal involvement. All lesions were of hypointense or isointense signal on T1-weighted imaging, whereas all but one were hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging. Lesions enhanced heterogeneously except 1 intradural extramedullary lesion, which enhanced homogeneously. A paraspinal mass was noticed in 2 patients. Vertebral collapse was present in 1 patients.

CONCLUSION

Intraspinal peripheral PNETs are rare spinal tumours. Although imaging characteristics are not specific, a focal circumscribed lesion in a young individual at the intramedullary, extramedullary intradural, or extradural spinal location that shows hypointense and hyperintense signal on T1- and T2-weighted images, respectively, requires PNET to be considered in the differentials.

Diagnosis of Metastatic Neoplasms: A Clinicopathologic and Morphologic Approach

Context.—The diagnosis of the site of origin of metastatic neoplasms often poses a challenge to practicing pathologists. A variety of immunohistochemical and molecular tests have been proposed for the identification of tumor site of origin, but these methods are no substitute for careful attention to the pathologic features of tumors and their correlation with imaging findings and other clinical data. The current trend in anatomic pathology is to overly rely on immunohistochemical and molecular tests to identify the site of origin of metastatic neoplasms, but this “shotgun approach” is often costly and can result in contradictory and even erroneous conclusions about the site of origin of a metastatic neoplasm.

Objective.—To describe the use of a systematic approach to the evaluation of metastatic neoplasms.

Data Sources.—Literature review and personal experience.

Conclusions.—A systematic approach can frequently help to narrow down differential diagnoses for a patient to a few likely tumor sites of origin that can be confirmed or excluded with the use of selected immunohistochemistry and/or molecular tests. This approach involves the qualitative evaluation of the “pretest and posttest probabilities” of various diagnoses before the immunohistochemical and molecular tests are ordered. Pretest probabilities are qualitatively estimated for each individual by taking into consideration the patient's age, sex, clinical history, imaging findings, and location of the metastases. This estimate is further narrowed by qualitatively evaluating, through careful observation of a variety of gross pathology and histopathologic features, the posttest probabilities of the most likely tumor sites of origin. Multiple examples of the use of this systematic approach for the evaluation of metastatic lesions are discussed.

Radiological findings of spinal schwannomas and meningiomas: focus on discrimination of two disease entities

This study evaluates the effectiveness of CT and MR imaging in differentiating intradural extramedullary spinal schwannomas and meningiomas in a large group of patients. In addition, the study correlates tumour location, morphologic characteristics and enhancement pattern. From January 2000 to June 2007, we retrospectively reviewed 128 consecutive patients (51 male, 77 female; mean age at admission 53.8 years; range 17-83 years) with spinal intradural extramedullary tumours (92 schwannomas, 36 meningiomas) at our institution. Fifty-one of ninety-two schwannomas (55.4%) showed fluid signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images. Twenty-two of thirty-six meningiomas (61.1%) showed hyperintense signal intensity and thirteen of thirty-six meningiomas (36.1%) showed isointense signal on T2-weighted MR images. Fifty-four schwannomas (58.7%) showed rim enhancement and thirty-three meningiomas (91.7%) showed diffuse enhancement on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging. Twenty-one meningiomas (58.3%) showed dural tail sign in contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging. Twenty-one meningiomas (58.3%) showed calcification on CT images. MR and CT imaging results are therefore useful for the differentiation of schwannomas from meningiomas of the spine.