Combined Percutaneous and Endovascular Treatment of Symptomatic Aneurysmal Bone Cyst of the Spine: Clinical Six Months. Follow-up of Six Cases

Minimally invasive treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts: Systematic literature review

INTRODUCTION

The optimal treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) remains controversial. Surgery has long been considered as the treatment that yields the best outcomes. Some authors now prefer using less invasive options as the primary treatment. The primary objective of this systematic literature review was to determine if treatments that are less invasive than surgery are also effective in curing the ABC. The secondary objective was to determine the respective role of each treatment in the therapeutic arsenal.

HYPOTHESIS

Less invasive treatments can replace surgery as the base treatment for ABC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A PubMed® search was carried out for this review. The inclusion criteria were ABC treatment without cyst removal, case series, clinical case reports, reviews, publication in French or English. Excluded were articles that described the results of surgical treatment only, cranial or maxillofacial cysts, secondary ABC, duplicates, no abstract available. Based on the first six items of the "MINOR criteria", we selected 42 studies. For each selected study, we analyzed the number of cases, clinical response to treatment, radiological healing, recurrence or failure rate, complications and side effects of the treatment.

RESULTS

This review found that less invasive treatments generate results that are at least as good as surgery, often with fewer complications. Thus, in certain cases, these treatments can be recommended as first-line therapy. This category includes selective arterial embolization, sclerotherapy (alcohol, polidocanol) and injection of demineralized bone matrix.

DISCUSSION

Selective arterial embolization yields good results. While this is a difficult, operator-dependent technique that is not suitable for all ABCs (no identifiable feeding vessel), we recommend it as the primary treatment for spinal ABCs. For ABCs in other locations, sclerotherapy can be used as the primary treatment. However, this treatment becomes inconvenient if the number of injections is too high. Radiation therapy is not a first-line treatment because of its side effects. Bisphosphonates and denosumab can be used when the other treatments are contraindicated.

Aneurysmal bone cysts in the spine, causing neurological compromise: safety and clinical efficacy of sclerotherapy utilizing sodium Tetradecyl sulfate foam

OBJECTIVE

To assess the clinical efficacy, technical feasibility, and safety profile of percutaneous sclerotherapy utilizing sodium tetradecyl-sulfate foam (STS) as a first-line treatment strategy for aggressive spinal aneurysmal bone cysts (sABCs) presenting with neurological compromise.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between July 2013 and September 2019, eight consecutive patients (5 males; 3 females; mean age 22±17, range 7-52) underwent fluoroscopic/CT-guided intraosseous sclerotherapy for sABCs. Pain and/or neurological compromise was the primary indications. Procedural data, complications, imaging, and clinical results were analyzed.

RESULTS

Technical success was achieved in all cases. Mean procedure time was 25±15 min (range 6-167); 1 to 5 repeat treatment cycles (mean 3.7±1.2) utilizing a mean 2.6mls±1.3 (range 1-6) of agitated 3% STS, with a DLP mean dose of 158±91 mGy*cm (range 62-331) per procedure. One reported a minor complication (pain), but no significant complications. Two patients had persistent neurological deficit due to cord compression despite successful sclerotherapy, requiring surgical resection (and were thereby excluded from the final outcome analysis). The remaining six patients demonstrated a significant reduction in tumor volume (p = 0.028), pain (p = 0.027), and SINS (spinal instability neoplastic score) (p = 0.027) at up to 5 years of follow-up (mean 20 ± 16.7, range 7-51 months).

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous sclerotherapy with STS is a minimally invasive, technically feasible, safe, and effective first-line treatment for primary sABCs causing pain and neurological compromise, alleviating the need for extensive surgery. It is most effective with three or more treatment cycles, in patients with higher SINS, pain scores, or tumor volumes at the initial presentation.

Primary aneurysmal bone cyst of sacrum for adolescent: Eleven cases experience and literature review

The present study is aiming to describe clinical characteristics, surgical flowchart and treatment results of eleven adolescent patients with primary aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) of sacrum and review in the literature. We retrospectively reviewed eleven young patients with sacral primary ABC, which had the intact clinical and follow-up information at our bone tumor center from 2001 to 2018. The literature review was based on Google Scholar, Medline, EMBASE and Pubmed databases. The search was performed using terms of "aneurysmal bone cyst", "sacral tumor", "sacrum tumor" "spine tumor" and "spinal tumor" for the literature review from 1998 to 2019. There were six male and five female with a mean age of 13 years old at the presentation. The mean follow-up duration was 6.5 years. No patient died of disease and had the pulmonary metastasis. Two patients had wound complications, including onesurgical site infection and one wound dehiscence. No patient had the local recurrence and neurologic deficit. In the literature review, 11 articles were reviewed and 45 cases with sacral primary ABC were included. The rate of local recurrence may be higher than that in our cohort. We proposed our flow chart for preparation of surgery for patients. Preoperative selective arterial embolization and intraoperative aortic balloon occlusion could provide the clear surgical vision and guarantee complete tumor excision by intralesional curettage. Preoperative selective arterial embolization, intraoperative aortic balloon occlusion and complete tumor excision by intralesional curettage can yield satisfactory results with a low rate of recurrence in adolescent patients with a sacral primary ABC.

Complete resolution of a cervical spine aneurysmal bone cyst after single session of endovascular embolization: Case report

Treatment options for aneurysmal bone cysts include intralesional curettage, segmental excision, en bloc resection and endovascular embolization. The most commonly used treatment is intralesional curettage and selective arterial embolization is normally an adjunctive therapy, not a definitive treatment. We report a case of a C1 lateral mass aneurysmal bone cyst treated with a single session of endovascular embolization. Long-term follow up demonstrated complete resolution of the cyst. A study of aneurysmal bone cyst embolization was conducted and the key points for obtaining maximal devascularization of the cyst along with embolic material and technique are discussed.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging correlates of benign and malignant alterations of the spinal bone marrow

Background and aim of the work: Bone marrow (BM) abnormalities in the spine are a common, sometimes unexpected, finding on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which is the most sensitive imaging modality to evaluate the marrow, and their interpretation can be difficult for the unexperienced radiologist. In this review, the MRI appearance of normal age-related BM changes, as well as the imaging features of benign and malignant diseases, are presented. Discussion: A large variety of BM signal alterations has been identified and described, including normal variants, BM reconversion, degenerative changes, infections, spondyloarthritis and osteonecrosis, trauma, neoplastic lesions (both primary or metastatic), post-radiation and chemotherapy sequelae. Conclusions: Knowledge of normal age-related BM appearance, normal variants and patterns of involvement in focal and diffuse bone diseases is essential, together with clinical and laboratory data, to narrow the list of the possible differential diagnoses. The radiologist should be familiar with these signal changes, as they can sometimes be discovered incidentally. In this context, it is equally important not to attribute pathological significance to benign alterations and to promptly detect signs of malignant diseases. (www.actabiomedica.it)

What's new in vertebral cementoplasty?

Vertebral cementoplasty is a well-known mini-invasive treatment to obtain pain relief in patients affected by vertebral porotic fractures, primary or secondary spine lesions and spine trauma through intrametameric cement injection. Two major categories of treatment are included within the term vertebral cementoplasty: the first is vertebroplasty in which a simple cement injection in the vertebral body is performed; the second is assisted technique in which a device is positioned inside the metamer before the cement injection to restore vertebral height and allow a better cement distribution, reducing the kyphotic deformity of the spine, trying to obtain an almost normal spine biomechanics. We will describe the most advanced techniques and indications of vertebral cementoplasty, having recently expanded the field of applications to not only patients with porotic fractures but also spine tumours and trauma.

Current Strategies for the Treatment of Aneurysmal Bone Cysts

Aneurysmal bone cysts are benign bone tumors that usually present in childhood and early adulthood. They usually manifest as expansile osteolytic lesions with a varying potential to be locally aggressive. Since their first description in 1942, a variety of treatment methods has been proposed. Traditionally, these tumors were treated with open surgery. Either intralesional surgical procedures or en bloc excisions have been described. Furthermore, a variety of chemical or physical adjuvants has been utilized in order to reduce the risk for local recurrence after excision. Currently, there is a shift to more minimally invasive procedures in order to avoid the complications of open surgical excision. Good results have been reported during percutaneous surgery, or the use of embolization. Recently, sclerotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment, showing effective consolidation of the lesions and functional results that appear to be superior to the ones of open surgery. Lastly, non-invasive treatment, such as pharmaceutical intervention with denosumab or bisphosphonates has been reported to be effective in the management of the disease. Radiotherapy has also been shown to confer good local control, either alone or in conjunction to other treatment modalities, but is associated with serious adverse effects. Here, we review the current literature on the methods of treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts. The indication for each type of treatment along reported outcome of the intervention, as well as potential complications are systematically presented. Our review aims to increase awareness of the different treatment modalities and facilitate decision-making regarding each individual patient.

Republished: Just a drop of cement: a case of cervical spine bone aneurysmal cyst successfully treated by percutaneous injection of a small amount of polymethyl-methacrylate cement

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign hemorrhagic tumor, commonly revealed by local pain. The best treatment for this lesion is still controversial. We report the case of a patient with chronic neck pain revealing an ABC of the third cervical vertebra. After percutaneous injection of a small amount of polymethyl-methacrylate bone cement, the patient experienced significant clinical and radiological improvement.

Minimizing bleeding complications in spinal tumor surgery with preoperative Onyx embolization via dual-lumen balloon catheter

Background

Intraoperative bleeding is a significant risk in surgery for highly vascular spinal tumors, but preoperative embolization can safely decrease intraoperative blood loss in extrinsic spine tumors. Onyx, widely used for cerebrovascular embolization, has been increasingly used as an embolic agent for preoperative spinal tumor embolization. The Scepter catheter, a dual-lumen balloon catheter, may improve tumor parenchymal penetration without the danger and limitations of significant embolic reflux. This may reduce bleeding risk during spinal surgery.

Methods

Eleven consecutive cases of preoperative Onyx embolization of extrinsic spinal tumors were identified, all of whom had subsequent spinal surgery. Demographic data and clinical variables were collected. Patients were divided into Scepter (n=6) and non-Scepter (n=5) groups. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare continuous outcome variables and the Fisher exact test was used to compare categorical variables.

Results

Estimated blood loss in the Scepter group was significantly lower than in the non-Scepter group (584±124 vs 2400±738 mL, p=0.004). The volume of intraoperative transfusion was also significantly lower (1.2±0.4 vs 5.8±1.7 units, p=0.004). There was no significant difference in the number of vessels embolized, vials of Onyx used, use of coiling adjunct, contrast load, radiation dose, or fluoroscopy time per pedicle (p>0.05).

Conclusions

The addition of the Scepter catheter to preoperative Onyx embolization is safe and feasible. In this small series, the Scepter catheter was associated with a reduction of intraoperative bleeding by 76% and a 79% lower transfusion volume. This was not accompanied by any unwanted increase in vials of Onyx used, contrast load, radiation dose, or fluoroscopy time.

Just a drop of cement: a case of cervical spine bone aneurysmal cyst successfully treated by percutaneous injection of a small amount of polymethyl-methacrylate cement

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign hemorrhagic tumor, commonly revealed by local pain. The best treatment for this lesion is still controversial. We report the case of a patient with chronic neck pain revealing an ABC of the third cervical vertebra. After percutaneous injection of a small amount of polymethyl-methacrylate bone cement, the patient experienced significant clinical and radiological improvement.

Percutaneous treatment of symptomatic aneurysmal bone cyst of L5 by percutaneous injection of osteoconductive material (Cerament)

We present a case report of a 33-year-old woman with back pain for several months which was resistant to medical treatment. Thoracolumbar MRI and multidetector CT showed an aneurysmal bone cyst intersecting the body and pedicles of L5. Minimally invasive treatment was performed with percutaneous injection of osteoconductive cement (Cerament) to induce sclerosis and bone remodeling of the bone cyst lesion with an analgesic effect. Before treatment, spinal angiography was performed to exclude arterial afferents. No bone biopsy was done. Under general anesthesia and fluoroscopic guidance, a first vertebroplasty was performed by a bilateral transpedicular approach using the osteoconductive cement followed 2 months later by a second treatment with CT-fluoro-guided direct injection of Cerament. No complications occurred during the procedure. At 4 and 6 months follow-up the MRI/CT showed sclerotic bone remodeling of the walls of the aneurysmal cyst with clinical improvement.

Percutaneous treatment of symptomatic aneurysmal bone cyst of L5 by percutaneous injection of osteoconductive material (Cerament)

We present a case report of a 33-year-old woman with back pain for several months which was resistant to medical treatment. Thoracolumbar MRI and multidetector CT showed an aneurysmal bone cyst intersecting the body and pedicles of L5. Minimally invasive treatment was performed with percutaneous injection of osteoconductive cement (Cerament) to induce sclerosis and bone remodeling of the bone cyst lesion with an analgesic effect. Before treatment, spinal angiography was performed to exclude arterial afferents. No bone biopsy was done. Under general anesthesia and fluoroscopic guidance, a first vertebroplasty was performed by a bilateral transpedicular approach using the osteoconductive cement followed 2 months later by a second treatment with CT-fluoro-guided direct injection of Cerament. No complications occurred during the procedure. At 4 and 6 months follow-up the MRI/CT showed sclerotic bone remodeling of the walls of the aneurysmal cyst with clinical improvement.