Sacral kyphoplasty for relieving pain caused by sacral hemangioma

• Published in: Spinal cord 2006-03, Vol.44 (3), p.196-199
• Main Authors: Atalay, B, Caner, H, Yilmaz, C, Altinors, N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Analgesics; Anatomy; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Carcinoma, Renal Cell - pathology; case-report; Cerebrospinal fluid. Meninges. Spinal cord; Female; Fracture Fixation, Internal - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemangioblastoma - complications; Hemangioblastoma - secondary; Hemangioblastoma - surgery; Human Physiology; Humans; Medical sciences; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures - methods; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurochemistry; Neurology; Neuropharmacology; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; Pain - etiology; Pain - surgery; Pain Measurement; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Sacrococcygeal Region - pathology; Sacrococcygeal Region - surgery; Somesthesis and somesthetic pathways (proprioception, exteroception, nociception); interoception; electrolocation. Sensory receptors; Spinal Cord Neoplasms - complications; Spinal Cord Neoplasms - secondary; Spinal Cord Neoplasms - surgery; Treatment Outcome; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 1362-4393; 1476-5624
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.sc.3101829

Study design: Case report describing sacral kyphoplasty in a patient with sacral hemangioma; the first account of this procedure in a sacral hemangioma. Objectives: To highlight the advantages of sacral kyphoplasty in the treatment of sacral tumors. Setting: This study is made in Baskent University in Turkey. Summary of background data: Kyphoplasty and sacroplasty are new, minimally invasive techniques that are mostly used for treating osteoporotic vertebral body fractures. These techniques are very effective for achieving rapid pain relief and stabilizing the vertebra, and biopsy collection can be included in the procedure. The latter allows for informed treatment planning in patients with metastatic tumors. Method: A 74-year-old woman with known metastatic renal cell carcinoma was investigated for pain in the left sacral region. A tumoral lesion was detected, and sacroplasty was performed at S1. Results: The sacral pain resolved completely after the procedure, and the patient was able to walk without assistance. The pathological diagnosis for the vertebral lesion was hemangioma. Conclusions: Sacral kyphoplasty is a very effective, minimally invasive surgical procedure. Patients with debilitating diseases such as primary sacral tumors or metastases can be treated by this technique with no significant complications.