Treatment of giant-cell tumor of the spine: report of four cases.

Abstract

Four patients who had a giant-cell tumor of the spine were managed in Ramathibodi Hospital from 1986 to 1993. All of the patients are female and the age onset was between 14-36 years. The location of the lesions was distributed in the sacrum (2 cases), lumbar spine (1 case) and cervical spine (1 case). Surgical approach was determined by the location, extent of involvement and feasibility of marginal resection. Anterior approach was performed in cases of tumor mass confined to the vertebral body and posterior approach was done in cases of posterior neural arch involvement. Adjuvant therapy and preoperative internal iliac artery ligation contributed to successful treatment in cases of sacral involvement. After follow-up of fifteen to fifty months (average, 30 months), the pain subsided and neural symptoms improved. Roentgenograms showed no evidence of local recurrence.