Sclerotherapy with polidocanol for treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts

A New Radiological Scoring System as a Method of Assessing Sclerotherapy Treatment Response for Aneurysmal Bone Cysts: A Retrospective Study

Background  A widely accepted set of imaging criteria or classification has not yet been adopted to evaluate response to treatment by percutaneous sclerotherapy for aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC). In this article, we described and illustrated the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) scoring system which is a new, reproducible, and objective tool to evaluate the radiological response. We also reported our institutional experience in the efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided sclerotherapy for treating such lesions. Patients and Methods  A retrospective analysis was conducted for 19 patients who underwent CT-guided sclerotherapy with doxycycline and albumin to treat ABC. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging, at a minimum of 12 months, was assessed according to the four ROH scoring system parameters: cystic component, fluid-fluid level, presence of consolidation, and cortical integrity. The cumulative score was used to grade response as either: excellent, good, equivocal, or poor. Results  Out of 19 patients with a mean age of 17.8 years, 11 cases occurred in the long bones, 5 cases in the pelvis, and 1 in each of the C3 vertebral body, scapula, and talus. The mean parameter of response score for cystic component was 2, fluid-fluid level was 1.3, consolidation was 2, and cortical integrity was 2.1. Four cases showed excellent response, 12 cases showed good response, 2 cases showed equivocal response, and 1 case showed poor response. Interrater reliability was excellent (κ = 0.9). Conclusion  The ROH scoring system provides the radiologist and surgeon with an objective method to score imaging parameters of response independently and achieve a grade based on the cumulative score.

Modern treatment of unicameral and aneurysmatic bone cysts

The best treatment of unicameral bone cyst and aneurismatic bone cyst (ABC) is debated in the literature. For simple bone cysts, multiple treatments were proposed from observation only to open curettage. The historical treatment with intraosseous injection of methylprednisolone acetate into the bone cysts nowadays is reduced due to the morbidity of multiple injections and the risk of multiple pathologic fractures until the healing. Different types of treatments for ABC are reported, including surgery, percutaneous treatments, and medical treatments; however, there is currently no consensus on the best approach. The association of curettage, bone graft, and elastic stable intramedullary nail (ESIN) had a success rate of over 85%. Decompressing the cyst wall is more critical for increasing the healing rate than the type of graft used to fill the cavity. In ABC, sclerotherapy offers the advantages of lower invasiveness and morbidity, associated with better functional scores and faster return to full weight-bearing. Moreover, they can be used in challenging locations. Selective arterial embolization is a complex procedure and often requires association with other treatments. Further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of denosumab and its side effects on skeletally immature patients. Curettage with adjuvants and autogenous bone grafting still shows promising results and can be used in larger, aggressive defects or superficial lesions. For simple bone cysts, the combination of curettage, bone graft, and ESIN showed the best results. Sclerotherapy for ABC also shows promising results.

Outcomes of a single dose of injection polidocanol application in aneurysmal bone cyst

Background

Aneurysmal bone cysts are common osteolytic tumours that have ability to expand and produce pathological fractures. Recurrence is a major issue in such tumours posing a treatment dilemma to clinicians. Injection polidocanol has shown promising results, but the number of injections still remains a topic of debate.

Methodology

A prospective interventional study done on 13 patients of biopsy-proven aneurysmal bone cysts. Patient related outcome measures(PROM's) seen using VAS score, SF-12 score and ROM of the involved extremity. Radiologically volume of tumour and cortico-medullary ratio were calculated. All patients received single dose of injection polidocanol and were followed up to 6 months.

Results

The mean age of patients was 9.5 years, with slight female predominance. Most cases had Campana grade 1. Mean VAS score improved from 9/10 to 1/10, ROM of the proximal and distal joints of the involved bone improved from 60 % (± 20 %) to 100 %. Mean SF12 score increased from 41 (±7): 47 (±3) to 54 (±2): 58 (±2) at the end of 6 months(p < 0.05).Mean volume of the lesion decreased from 6.30 cc (± 1.30) to 2.86 cc (±1.34) (p < 0.0005) with a reduction of MCR from 4.8 (±0.6) to 3.6 (±0.5) on a similar time span (p < 0.0005) at end of 6 months. 2 patients showed recurrence with none of the patients showing any complication.

Conclusion

Single dose of Injection Polidocanol for Aneurysmal Bone Cysts is a unique study, not described in literature before. The smaller lesion in initial staging can be treated effectively with single dose of polidocanol reducing morbidity and treatment cost to the patient. It is as good as giving multiple doses of Polidocanol as per as functionality of the limb is concerned.Also, we propose a new parameter "Medullary-cortical ratio", which is an effective way to assess the improvement and resolution of ABC after administration of Polidocanol.

Using Denosumab as a Nonsurgical Management of Aneurysmal Bone Cysts in the Pelvis

Background

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are infrequent, benign, and locally destructive lesions that most commonly occur during the first two decades of life. They usually affect the metaphysis of the long bones, but the pelvis is involved in 8%-12% of the cases. The management of pelvic ABCs is a challenging issue due to difficulties in choosing the appropriate approach, adjacent neurovascular bundles, the risk of intraoperative bleeding with difficulty achieving good hemostasis, and the risk of injury to the hip or sacroiliac joints. Limited data exist concerning the use of denosumab as a non-surgical treatment for pelvic ABCs. Our hypothesis was that denosumab might be an effective and safe solo treatment of cases with ABCs in the pelvis.

Methods

We retrospectively assessed 20 patients with ABCs in the pelvis, who were treated by denosumab as a solo agent without surgery. Patients were assessed regarding disease control, the incidence of recurrence and non-oncological complications, and functional outcome.

Results

The mean follow-up period was 38.5 months. Disease control was achieved in 16 patients (80%), with no local recurrence. Tolerable drug-related complications occurred in 15% of cases. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 92.3%.

Conclusions

Denosumab may provide a reliable option in the nonsurgical treatment of ABCs of pelvic origin with expected lower morbidity than the surgical solution and tolerable complications. Further studies on the safety profile and long-term effects of denosumab especially in skeletally immature patients are required.

Polidocanol sclerotherapy for the treatment of aneurysmal bone cyst, with or without pathological fractures: A prospective, comparative study

Introduction

Polidocanol sclerotherapy in the treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) with or without pathological fractures has been a topic of debate. While some studies recommend intralesional curettage as the preferred treatment, others suggest intralesional sclerosants as an effective alternative.

Material and methods

This study evaluates the use of polidocanol-based percutaneous sclerosant therapy in 28 patients with ABCs, of which 8 patients had pathological fracture. The patients received injections every four weeks based on clinical and radiological evaluation of the cyst, and the study assessed the results and complications of the treatment.

Results

In group A (without pathological fractures), 14 out of 17 (82.4 %) lesions healed without any significant residual lesion. Three out of 17 (17.6 %) patients required further surgical intervention and were treated by curettage and bone grafting, definitively. Minor local inflammatory reaction was observed in 3 patients, which resolved without intervention within 3-4 days. In group B, all the 8 patients (100 %) with pathological fracture in their lesions healed as Grade 1 healing, without any significant residual lesion. One patient developed an episode of anesthesia related complication (delayed recovery) which resolved within an hour, without any residual effect. At final follow up, no recurrence was seen in any patient.

Conclusion

The study concludes that polidocanol sclerotherapy is an effective treatment option for patients with ABCs, with or without pathological fractures, and has the potential to become the new treatment of choice for pathological fractures due to its low invasiveness, low morbidity, and affordability. However, further research is needed to confirm the efficacy of polidocanol sclerotherapy in larger patient populations and to compare its effectiveness with other treatment options.

Sclerotherapy as a primary or salvage procedure for aneurysmal bone cysts: A single-center experience

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are benign cystic bone tumors of an osteolytic and locally aggressive nature. As an alternative to the primary treatment of choice, which consists of curettage with bone grafting, alternative treatment methods with promising results have been described. At our department, we have, in recent years, used percutaneous sclerotherapy with polidocanol. The objective of this study was to identify the healing rate and safety of sclerotherapy with polidocanol.

AIM

To identify the efficacy and safety of sclerotherapy with polidocanol in primary and recurrent ABC.

METHODS

Twenty-two consecutive patients (median age 12.5 years; range 1-27) with 23 ABCs treated with sclerotherapy with polidocanol from 2016-2021 were included retrospectively. Eleven patients (48%) had undergone different forms of previous treatment with recurrence. Under general anesthesia and fluoroscopic guidance, repeated percutaneous injections of 4mg polidocanol/kg body weight were performed. Through review of the electronic medical records, the following were identified: healing and recurrence rate, number of treatments, gender, age, comorbidity, location of the tumor and side effects / complications, as well as any previous surgery for ABC. The median length of radiographic follow-up was 19.5 mo.

RESULTS

All ABCs except one (96%) showed healing or stable disease after a median of 4 (range 1-8) injections. Complete clinical and radiographic healing was observed in 16 cysts (70%), while partial radiographic healing with resolution of pain was seen in 6 cases (26%) and considered as stable disease. The cyst that failed to heal had previously undergone curettage twice with recurrence. One patient with a large pelvic ABC experienced, right after two injections, a sudden drop in blood pressure, which could quickly be reversed. One patient with a juxtaphyseal ABC in the femoral neck showed a minor limb length discrepancy because of deformity. Beyond that, no complications were observed.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous sclerotherapy with polidocanol appears to be a safe alternative for treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts. In our series of both primary and recurrent cysts, it showed the ability to achieve healing or stable disease in 22 of 23 cases (96%). Further studies are needed to decide if this provides a long-lasting effect.

Management of juvenile and aneurysmal bone cysts: a systematic literature review with meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Numerous approaches to the management of juvenile and aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are described in the specialist literature together with discussion of the associated healing and recurrence rates. Since there is currently no evidence-based treatment standard for these conditions, the aim of this systematic literature review with meta-analysis was to examine the different management approaches, evaluate the corresponding clinical outcomes and, as appropriate, to formulate a valid treatment recommendation.

METHODS

A systematic search on OVID Medline^® based on a pre-existing search strategy returned 1333 publications. Having defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and analysis of the relevant full texts, 167 publications were included in the descriptive analysis and 163 in the meta-analysis. For this purpose, different subgroups were created, based on the type of cyst and the therapeutic procedure. Those subgroups were then analysed in relation to their healing rates, the number of recurrences and complication rates.

RESULTS

For aneurysmal bone cysts, both surgical removal and Doxycycline injection lead to excellent outcomes (98% healing) and low recurrence rates (6% and 11% resp.). Curettage (91% healing), including its combination with autologous cancellous bone graft (96% healing), showed very good healing rates but higher recurrence rates (22% and 15%, resp.), which were however improved by preoperative selective arterial embolization. A critical view must be taken of radiotherapy (90% healing) and the injection of alcohol (92% healing) because of their high complication rates (0.43/cyst and 0.42/cyst, resp.). In the management of juvenile bone cysts, surgical interventions like curettage and cancellous bone graft (87% healing) are far superior to non-surgical approaches (51% healing), furthermore, the application of autologous cancellous bone graft reduced the recurrence rate (3% recurrence) compared to curettage alone (20% recurrence). In subgroup analysis, treatment by ESIN was found to produce excellent outcomes (100% healing), though the patient collectives were small.

CONCLUSION

Surgical procedures to treat aneurysmal bone cysts appear to be the method of choice whereby Doxycycline injection may be an alternative. A surgical approach should be preferred in the treatment of juvenile bone cysts.

Percutaneous image-guided treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts: is there a superior treatment option?

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are often treated with intralesional surgery (curettage) with or without adjuvant treatments. Side effects and conflicting results regarding recurrence rates do not suggest one clearly superior therapy. Percutaneous therapeutic options including sclerotherapy and thermal ablation have gained popularity as potential alternatives.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this retrospective review is to report this institution's experience and results of various image-guided minimally invasive treatments in a single institution series of cases referred to interventional radiology by orthopedic surgery after surgical failure or in patients with anatomically challenging ABCs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study identified all patients ≤18 years old who received percutaneous therapy for an ABC, including cryoablation, doxycycline sclerotherapy, microwave ablation or a combination of these modalities. Procedural details, complications, imaging follow-up and clinical follow-up were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 21 patients received 41 procedures, with major complications seen in 7.7% (3/39) of procedures involving cryoablation or doxycycline sclerotherapy. Patients receiving cryoablation required an average of 1.7 procedures (median: 1 procedure, range: 1-4 procedures) while patients receiving doxycycline sclerotherapy required an average of 3 procedures (median: 2 procedures, range: 1-6 procedures). Patients were followed clinically and with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (average: 23.9 months, range: 3.9-68.3 months). Follow-up imaging demonstrated improvement in 17 (85%) patients. Clinically, 93.8% (15/16) of patients who presented with fracture or pain had markedly reduced or absent pain as well as no fractures.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous image-guided treatment of ABCs demonstrates a favorable efficacy and safety profile. Adding cryoablation may lead to fewer total procedures than using doxycycline sclerotherapy alone.

Results in the surgical treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts - A retrospective data analysis

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are benign tumors mostly occurring in children and young adults. Different open and minimal invasive surgical approaches have been proposed for the treatment of ABCs and yet no consensus is defined to date. The aim of this study was to retrospectively review data of a large single center series of ABCs with patients treated by open curettage with or without filling of the cavity or en-bloc resection. Questions/purposes We asked: (1) What was the local recurrence rate of ABC after surgical treatment at our institution? (2) What were positive or negative predictors for local recurrence? (3) Was there a benefit from adjuvant burring, phenolization or filling, respectively? (4) Where there changes in recurrence free survival in different time periods of primary surgery?

METHODS

By retrospective data analysis of the Vienna Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Registry, 123 patients surgically treated for primary aneurysmal bone cysts were identified. After exclusion of 33 patients (27%) due to a postoperative follow up below one year, 90 patients who were treated for primary ABCs between 1986 and 2009 were evaluated. These included 50 males and 40 females with a mean age of 16 years (SD 10 years; range: 2 to 51 years). The mean follow-up was 99 months. (SD 72 months, range: 13 to 329 months) RESULTS: Curettage was performed in 84 patients, while 45 patients received adjuvant phenolization. Local recurrence occurred in 28 patients after a mean time of 16 months, with a corresponding local recurrence free survival (RFS) of 83% after one year, 77% after 2 years and 66% after 5 years. ABCs located in hands and feet (p=0.044) showed a superior RFS, while younger patients (p=0.001) displayed an inferior RFS. Regarding adjuvant surgical techniques, mechanical cavity burring (p=0.004) and filling with autologous cancellous bone graft (p=0.024) showed protective effects on RFS. Patients treated between 1986 and 1999 (n=47) had a higher RFS than patients treated between 2000 and 2009 (n=43, p=0.011), as surgeons and surgical indications changed over time.

CONCLUSION

Although curettage, burring, phenolization and reconstruction with bone grafts came with a relatively high risk of local recurrence, open surgery is still justified in aggressively growing ABCs of critical localizations.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV; therapeutic study.

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 cyst of the pelvis and sacrum: a single-center study of 17 cases

Background

The aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign, but locally aggressive cystic lesion of the bone. It usually occurs in the metaphysis of long bones of adolescents and young adults but can also affect the pelvis.

Methods

This single-center study is a retrospective review of 17 patients with primary ABCs of the pelvis. It examines the importance of polidocanol instillations as minimally invasive treatment option for ABCs of the pelvis compared to intralesional curettage or marginal resection.

Results

Seventeen patients with the diagnosis of a primary ABC of the pelvis were included in the study. Six patients were male (35%) and 11 patients female (65%); the mean age was 18 (9-49) years. The mean follow-up time was 50 months (12-136 months). The most common location of manifestation was the pubis (6; 35%), followed by the ilium (6; 35%), the sacrum (3; 18%) and the ischium (2; 12%). Eight patients were treated by intralesional curettage with the use of adjuvants, one patient by marginal resection, seven by sequential instillation of polidocanol and one patient by simple observation. Five patients received an additional transarterial embolization. After intralesional curettage local recurrence was detected in 4/8 cases (50%). After instillation therapy six patients (86%) had a stable disease without recurrence, only one patient (14%) had a persistent disease with need of additional treatment and was therefore converted to intralesional curettage without local recurrence in the follow-up.

Conclusions

Sequential instillations of polidocanol are a promising, minimally invasive treatment method for ABCs of the pelvis and can be well combined with transarterial embolization.

Treatment of an aneurysmal bone cyst in a young dog: A case report

Background

An aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a rare benign lytic lesion affecting the medullary canal of long bones. It has been widely reported in human medicine, but rarely described in domestic animals.

Objective

To report the surgical treatment and long term follow‐up of a dog affected by ABC.

Methods

An 8‐month‐old, intact female Weimaraner was presented with lameness affecting the left front limb and progressive swelling of the mid‐distal radius. Survey radiographs revealed a mid‐distal diaphyseal radial lesion. Fine needle aspirates, biopsy, CT scan and histopathology results supported the diagnosis of ABC. Treatment consisted of partial corticotomy of the affected radius, filling of the cystic cavity with demineralised bone matrix and autologous bone graft and stabilisation using lag screws and a neutralisation plate.

Results

The long‐term follow‐up, at 36 post‐operative months, showed no recurrence of the cyst and bone modelling. Comparing preoperative radiographs with those at 36 months, bone modelling reduced the radial area by 23.3% in the craniocaudal radiographic view and 30% in the mediolateral projection.

Conclusions

This treatment was sucessful in the case here described, with a 3 years follow‐up.

Aneurysmal bone cyst of the foot: A series of 10 cases

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign, locally aggressive tumor that occurs in childhood and early adulthood. It usually affects the metaphysis of long bones but can also occur in the foot.

METHODS

This single-center study is a retrospective review of ten patients with primary ABCs of the foot which underwent an intralesional curettage or a polidocanol instillation.

RESULTS

After intralesional curettage a local recurrence was observed in 3/5 cases. The instillation of polidocanol showed a significant reduction of the initial cyst volume (p=0.0267). In the instillation subgroup a primary complete healing was achieved in three cases. Due to a persisting disease two cases were converted to intralesional curettage without local recurrence in the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Percutaneous instillation of polidocanol is a minimally invasive treatment option for ABCs of the foot and especially for small bones. Nevertheless, several sequential instillations and a conversion to intralesional curettage can be necessary.

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.

Sclerotherapy for Aneurysmal Bone Cyst: A Single-Center Experience

Introduction

Sclerotherapy offers an alternative to surgery to treat an aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC). The present study's main objective was to assess the radiological efficacy of sclerotherapy in the healing of the cyst cavity secondary to biopsy-proven ABC on X-rays and assess clinical efficacy on pain, recurrence, and complications.

Materials and methods

Between 2016 and 2018, 26 patients (12 females, 14 males) with biopsy-proven ABC treated by sclerotherapy were included. All patients received an injection of polidocanol 3% intralesional as standard treatment under fluoroscopic guidance. Ossification was assessed on plain X-ray, and the pain was evaluated on a visual analog scale (VAS).

Results

Ossification was complete in 24 (92.3%) patients and partial in two (7.7%) patients. Eighteen patients (70%) were pain-free at the end of three months. There was an improvement in the VAS score, and clinically, there was a significant reduction in pain and swelling. Two patients developed recurrence within two years of follow-up, treated successfully by the re-application of intralesional polidocanol 3% injection.

Discussion

Sclerotherapy provides an effective, minimally invasive treatment for ABC and is particularly useful for deep lesions, challenging access for surgery and potentially damaging vital structures. The use of percutaneous polidocanol 3% under fluoroscopic control seems to improve the risk/benefit ratio. Its clinical and radiological efficacy makes sclerotherapy an alternative treatment option in ABC.

 Level of evidence

IV, prospective study

Current strategies for the treatment of solitary and aneurysmal bone cysts: A review of the literature

•

SBCs can mostly be treated conservatively.

•

In ABCs a biopsy is compulsory.

•

ABCs can be treated by polidocanol instillations adequately.

This review of the literature aims to compare the etiology, the pathogenesis, the clinical diagnostics and the relevant treatment options of two different types of cystic bone lesions: the solitary bone cyst (SBC) and the aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC). Whereas the clinical symptoms and the radiographic appearance can be similar, the diagnostic pathway and the treatment options are clearly different.

The solitary bone cyst (SBC) represents a tumor-like bone lesion, occurring most frequently in the humerus and femur in children and adolescents. Pain caused by intercurrent pathological fractures is often the first symptom, and up to 87% of the cysts are associated with pathological fractures. In the majority of cases SBCs can be treated conservatively, especially in the upper extremity. However, if a fracture is completely dislocated, joint affecting, unstable or open, surgical treatment is necessary. Pain under weight bearing or regaining the ability to mobilize after fracture timely can necessitate surgical treatment in SBCs affecting the lower extremity. Spontaneous resolution can be seen in rare cases.

The aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign, locally aggressive tumor that occurs in childhood and early adulthood. It usually affects the metaphysis of long bones but can also occur in the spine or the pelvis. ABC can be primary but also secondary to other bone pathologies. The diagnosis has to be confirmed by biopsy and histopathological examinations. With cytogenetic studies and the detection of specific translocations of the ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) 6 gene primary ABCs can be differentiated from secondary ABCs and other bone lesions. Among various modalities of treatment i.e. en bloc resection, intralesional curettage with adjuvants, embolization or the systemic application of denosumab, intralesional sclerotherapy using polidocanol is an effective and minimally invasive treatment of primary ABCs.

Musculoskeletal Interventional Radiology in the Pediatric Population: State of the Art

Interventional radiology procedures have been proven to be as effective as traditional surgery but usually are characterized by lower morbidity rates. In this article, the most diffuse IR treatments for pediatric lesions are reviewed with the aim of describing main advantages and drawbacks. Ablation procedures (in particular RFA and MRgFUS) are widely used for the management of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma whereas intracystic injection of methylprednisolone acetate is performed for simple bone cysts. Sclerosing agents and where possible, selective arterial embolization are used for treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts and other vascular malformations. In the management of malignant muscoloskeletal tumors, the role interventional radiology is mainly represented by percutaneous biopsies, and by adiuvant selective embolizations in presence of hypervascular lesions to be submitted to surgery.

Primary Aneurysmal Bone Cyst and Its Recent Treatment Options: A Comparative Review of 74 Cases

(1) Background: An aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign, locally aggressive tumor. Different treatment modalities are described in the literature i.e., en bloc resection, intralesional curettage and percutaneous sclerotherapy. (2) Methods: This single-center study is a review of 74 patients with primary ABCs who underwent a surgical treatment or polidocanol instillation. Cyst volume measurements using MRI and conventional radiographs are compared. (3) Results: The mean pre-interventional MRI-based cyst volume was 44.07 cm³ and the mean radiographic volume was 27.27 cm³. The recurrence rate after intralesional curettage with the need for further treatment was 38.2% (13/34). The instillation of polidocanol showed a significant reduction of the initial cyst volume (p < 0.001) but a persistent disease occurred in 29/32 cases (90.6%). In 10 of these 29 cases (34.5%) further treatment was necessary. After en bloc resection (eight cases) a local recurrence occurred in two cases (25%), in one case with the need for further treatment. (4) Conclusions: MRI scans are superior to biplanar radiographs in the examination of ABCs. Sequential percutaneous instillations of polidocanol are equally effective in the therapy of primary ABCs compared to intralesional curettage. However, several instillations have to be expected. In a considerable number of cases, a conversion to intralesional curettage or en bloc resection may be necessary.

Qualitative evaluation of MRI features in aneurysmal bone cysts after percutaneous sclerotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To report MRI findings of changes seen in aneurysmal bone cysts after percutaneous sclerotherapy treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After applying exclusion criteria, a total of 36 patients who had aneurysmal bone cysts and undergone percutaneous sclerotherapy were included in this study. The pre-treatment and post-treatment MRIs were reviewed and multiple pre-determined MRI findings were evaluated. The presence of each post-treatment finding, as well as the time for each finding to develop, was recorded.

RESULTS

Early post-sclerotherapy changes include increased perilesional edema and enhancement, which appear on MRI on average 5.1 months after the initial sclerotherapy. This is followed by decreased cystic areas, which can be seen on average 5.9 months after the initial treatment. The presence of fibrosis, improved cortical integrity, and improving mass effect are later post-treatment changes and appear on MRI on average 9.7 months, 10.6 months, and 16.1 months after the initial sclerotherapy, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The early and late post-sclerotherapy MR findings of aneurysmal bone cysts were reported in this study.

Aneurysmal bone cyst in the pelvis of a cat: successful outcome of partial iliectomy with limb preservation

Case summary

A 3-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair indoor cat presented with a 3-week history of pain from the pelvic region. Physical examination revealed pain elicited on palpating the pelvic area and right hip. Radiographs and CT showed an expansile, osteolytic process with intact cortex in the right wing of the ilium. CT revealed a monostotic and soft tissue-attenuating process with clear margins. Preoperative histopathological diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst was made from incisional biopsies. The cyst was removed en bloc with limb-sparing partial iliectomy. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst. Recovery from surgery was uneventful. At re-examination 8 weeks and 8 months postoperatively, the cat was pain free and physical examinations were within normal limits.

Relevance and novel information

Feline aneurysmal bone cysts are rare and reported cases are few. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the CT appearance of a pelvic aneurysmal bone cyst and partial iliectomy with limb preservation in a cat with successful short-term outcome.

Pelvic Aneurysmal Bone Cyst in an Adolescent: A Case Report and Literature Review

An aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign but locally aggressive lesion. The challenge in managing pelvic ABC arises from its relative inaccessibility and the presence of nearby neurovascular structures. In this report, we present the case of a 14-year-old female with pelvic ABC and describe the symptoms, signs, and radiographic appearance of the ABC, management, and good outcome of non-surgical management by selective trans-arterial embolization. Although challenging, non-surgical management of pelvic ABCs can result in a favorable outcome. In addition, we reviewed the literature regarding the treatment modalities of pelvic ABCs.

Spinal Aneurysmal Bone Cysts (ABCs): Optimal Management

AIM

To review the published literature on the treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs).

METHOD

A systematic review of the English literature to April 2019 for all articles, with a minimum of three patients and 2-year follow-up, reporting on the treatment of spinal ABCs. The various treatment options were compared for the rates of recurrence, complications and mortality.

RESULTS

Twenty-one articles and 272 patients (mean age 16.9 years, range 3-67) were included in this review. The overall recurrence rate for ABCs following all treatments is 12.8%. This is highest in those lesions described as being treated with isolated surgiflo injection into the lesion (100%), decompression/laminectomy (42.3%), partial excision/resection (35.7%) and curettage alone (25.0%). Radiotherapy alone or in conjunction with operative intervention offers excellent cure rates. Adjuncts to operative intervention, including cryotherapy or phenol reduce the recurrence rates, whereas embolization does not. The most common complications are persistent neurological deficits, spinal deformity, and continued pain. The overall mortality rates are low (1.5%). The reoperation rates are higher in surgical than non-surgical treatments and most are performed for progressive deformity.

DISCUSSION

ABCs are highly radiosensitive. However, with the unknown longer-term risk of radiotherapy, surgical treatments, ideally with complete resection, and the use of adjunctive therapies such as cryotherapy or phenol, offer the best chance of cure. SAE is a useful adjunct to reduce intraoperative bleeding, but this study suggests that it only modestly improves recurrence rates. Newer techniques including bisphosphonate and doxycycline administration offer potential benefits, but their efficacy requires further investigation.

Aneurysmal bone cyst: A review of 65 patients

Background

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are benign but locally aggressive lesions. The treatment of ABC has evolved over the years, but curettage with or without local adjuvants still represents the standard. Less invasive methods such as embolization, sclerotherapy or RANKL inhibitors (Denosumab) are also established. The aim of this study was to report and compare the results of a series of patients mainly treated with curettage with and without subsequent phenolization.

Methods

65 patients with the unequivocal diagnosis of primary ABC were treated. 61 of them were located within the bone whereas 4 patients had an ABC of the soft tissues. All patient were treated surgically by means of curettage with or without adjuvants, resection, or with minimally invasive methods such as Polidocanol injections, embolizations or Denosumab treatment. In total 80 procedures had been performed.

Results

Our patients had a mean age of 25.3 ± 16.0 years, ranging from 4 to 74 years. The most common skeletal locations were the pelvis in 23%, the femur in 18%, the tibia in 16% and the spine in 10%. Six lesions were resected and showed no recurrence. 5 patients were treated with polidocanol injections (n = 3) or embolization plus systemic treatment with Denosumab (n = 2). With embolization and Denosumab both patients showed stable disease and required no further treatment. Polidocanol injections resulted in stable disease with no further treatment required in one patient and in subsequent curettage with adjuvant phenolization in two other patients.

In 54 initial curettages 21 were performed with adjuvant phenolization. In this group, 16 lesions healed (76%), 3 showed persistent disease and 2 patients had a local recurrence (9%). Out of 33 patients without phenolization 21 (64%) healed, 3 showed stable persistent disease and 9 (27%) experienced a recurrence. In total we performed 66 curettages, 27 with and 39 without adjuvant phenol treatment. Resolution was achieved in 19 (70%) and 25 (64%) of cases. respectively. Persistent disease was evident in 5 cases each and recurrence in 3 and 9 cases, respectively (n.s.).

Conclusion

Curettage is still the standard of treatment for ABC. Local recurrence does not depend on the use of adjuvant phenol as shown in this and other studies. Minimally invasive methods such as selective embolization and injections of sclerosing agents may result in healing or at least in tolerable persistence of residual lesions but needs repetitive treatments and does not show homogenous results throughout the institutions. Denosumab appears to be an additional option, especially in surgically critical locations such as the spine or the sacrum.

Multidisciplinary management of spinal aneurysmal bone cysts: A single-center experience

OBJECTIVE

The management of spinal aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) is complex and often requires multimodality therapy, including surgical intervention to stabilize the axial skeleton, and avoid neurologic injury or death. With en bloc resection, ABCs have a recurrence rate of 12%, which increases to >50% with subtotal resection. The use of doxycycline sclerotherapy has been reported to reduce the recurrence rate of non-spinal ABCs to 5% at >24 month follow-up. We retrospectively reviewed our institutional results for sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS)/doxycycline sclerotherapy and surgical intervention for spinal ABCs, to assess our treatment paradigm for these tumors and inform our future approach to these lesions.

METHODS

Three cervical, two thoracic and two lumbar spine ABCs were treated in seven patients with spine-exclusive disease at our institution from 2011 to the present. The most common presenting complaint was pain. Each patient was retrospectively reviewed for clinical symptomology, number of treatments, technique and clinical follow-up. Qualitative assessment of improvement was based on the most recent clinical evaluation.

RESULTS

The cohort underwent a mean of three treatment sessions (range 2-15). All were treated with STS and/or doxycycline. Five patients underwent surgical intervention at some point, either before or following sclerotherapy. After the last sclerotherapy session, four patients reported stable or improved pain symptoms, while two reported progressive pain that required surgical intervention for that indication. One patient, who underwent both multiple rounds of sclerotherapy and surgical resection, died due to acute on chronic cervical spine collapse with cord compression and inability to control disease.

CONCLUSION

We report our experience in the treatment of spinal column ABCs. Stabilization or improvement in pain was seen in four patients, while the remainder had progressive disease. Our multidisciplinary approach allows patients to receive the most appropriate treatment at presentation and thereafter, for symptom amelioration or spinal stability. Important future goals are to quantitatively assess changes in symptoms over time and to incorporate a reproducible radiographic endpoint for the assessment of treatment efficacy.

Aneurysmal bone cyst treated with percutaneous doxycycline: is a single treatment sufficient?

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this case series is to report on the effectiveness of a single percutaneous injection of doxycycline as a primary treatment for aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on seven patients diagnosed with ABC at various anatomical sites, with the intention to treat by a single percutaneous injection of doxycycline. Mean patient age was 14 years.

RESULTS

Signs of treatment response were seen in six of seven patients after one injection. Three of the seven received a second treatment, despite signs of response. Another had expansion of the lesion after treatment, requiring excision. In total, three patients had a single injection of doxycycline as their sole treatment and another three showed signs of response after a single injection.

CONCLUSIONS

A single percutaneous injection of doxycycline should be considered a viable primary treatment option for ABC.

Severe life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction to polidocanol in a case of recurrent aneurysmal bone cyst

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are expansile lytic lesions constituting around 1% of all benign bone tumors with an annual incidence of 1.4/100000. A variety of treatments are available ranging from curettage with or without bone grafting (autologous or allogeneic), curettage with use of adjuvants [Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement, high speed burr, phenol, liquid nitrogen], wide en-block excision with or without reconstruction, selective arterial embolization of the feeding vessels, radiation therapy, high precision megavoltage radiotherapy and percutaneous radio-nuclide ablation, sclerotherapy (ethibloc, aetoxisclerol, alcohol gel, polidocanol). The optimal treatment is debatable due to various indications and contraindications of different modalities of treatment. Recent data suggest that percutaneous sclerotherapy with polidocanol is safe and effective alternative to surgery for treatment of ABCs as it has minimal side effects. We are reporting the first case of life-threatening adverse reaction to intra-lesional polidocanol in a three-year-old boy with a proximal femoral aneurysmal bone cyst. The importance of reporting this case is to make people aware regarding the adverse reaction of polidocanol and to highlight the precautions one should follow while using polidocanol for aneurysmal bone cysts.

Aneurysmal bone cyst of the clavicle: a series of 13 cases

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign but locally aggressive bone tumor occurring most commonly in the first 2 decades of life. The clavicle is a rare location for tumors, and ABCs of the clavicle have been sparsely described in the literature. We present the largest known series of ABCs of the clavicle to describe this rare condition.

METHODS

Patients were identified retrospectively from an orthopedic oncology database to obtain demographic, diagnostic, and treatment information. A literature search was performed to identify all English language reports of ABC of the clavicle.

RESULTS

We identified 13 patients with ABC of the clavicle, 77% of which were in the acromial end. Most patients (77%) presented with pain or swelling or both. The initial treatment in 11 patients was by curettage, with or without allograft bone packing, and 1 underwent resection/reconstruction of the lateral clavicle. Seven patients (58%) had 1 or more recurrences at an average of 6 months, for which 2 were treated with partial resection of the clavicle.

CONCLUSIONS

ABC of the clavicle is a rare condition that we found to occur most frequently in the acromial end of the bone. Most patients were initially treated with curettage and showed a higher rate of recurrence than in other locations. The unique anatomy of the clavicle makes resection a feasible and very functional option, especially if the coracoclavicular ligaments can be preserved. However, the potential resulting deformity may cause patients to opt for a less aggressive and, consequently, less effective treatment method.

Solitary juvenile xanthogranuloma in the spine pretreated with neoadjuvant denosumab therapy followed by surgical resection in a 5-year-old child: case report and literature review

PURPOSE

We present a case report that describes neoadjuvant denosumab therapy initiated in a child with a solitary giant cell-rich juvenile xanthogranuloma tumor involving the spine, and review the current literature.

METHODS

A giant cell-rich histiocytic lesion involving the 11th thoracic vertebral body was identified in a healthy 5-year-old girl with persistent back and pelvic pain for several months. Imaging examinations and an open biopsy were performed to obtain a definite pathologic diagnosis. As the tumor appeared to be aggressive in nature, we administered adjuvant therapy with denosumab preoperatively and then performed a total spondylectomy.

RESULTS

Histopathology confirmed that the tumor was juvenile xanthogranuloma. No tumor metastases or recurrence were detected at the 3-year follow-up, and the patient was asymptomatic.

CONCLUSIONS

In giant cell-rich tumors, denosumab is occasionally used as neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy, especially for tumors in difficult locations or with substantial soft tissue extensions. Rare adverse events in children include skin infections and disruption of calcium homeostasis. Surgical treatment is aimed at removing the tumor and relieving the symptomatic spinal cord compression. Use of denosumab as neoadjuvant therapy for juvenile xanthogranuloma involving the spine has not been reported previously.

Treatment of the aneurysmal bone cyst by percutaneous intracystic sclerotherapy using ethanol ninety five percent in children

INTRODUCTION

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign intraosseous lesion filled with blood that can determine a blowout distension of the bone. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of sclerotherapy by percutaneous intralesional administration of ethanol 96% for the treatment of this pathology in paediatric patients.

METHOD

The retrospective study includes 17 paediatric patients with ABC who were treated by repeated intracystic injection with ethanol 96%, 1 ml/kg, in our clinic between December 2015 and July 2017. Fluoroscopic guidance was used to inject the cyst with contrast agent. The mean follow-up period was 11 months.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

All cysts are healed or are in the healing process. The mean age was 11 years old. Seven patients needed three repeated injections and ten patients needed two injections until healing. We observed a mean reduction in the size of the lesions, measured on plain X-rays, of 68%. The complications that were observed included the following: dizziness after injection, skin pigmentation at the injection site, local inflammatory reaction, and pain after injection. The current study approves the importance of this minimally invasive treatment with no recurrence after a follow-up of 19 months. The healing rate was 100%. A limitation of this study consists in the small number of patients.

CONCLUSION

Sclerotherapy with ethanol 96% is a useful method for the treatment of ABC. It is a minimally invasive method, with no major complications, which lowers the risks of open surgical intervention and has a good rate of success.

Therapeutic Management of a Substantial Pelvic Aneurysmatic Bone Cyst Including the Off-Label Use of Denosumab in a 35-Year-Old Female Patient

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are benign bone tumors, which are highly vascularized. The main course of treatment is curettage followed by bone grafting or cement insertion. Still recurrence remains a main problem for patients. Denosumab is a monoclonal antibody, which acts as an inhibitor of the RANK/RANKL pathway, diminishing bone turnover. Recent case reports have shown that Denosumab can be a promising therapeutic agent for people suffering from therapy-resistant ABC. We report the case of a 35-year-old female patient presenting with a pronounced ABC of the pelvis. Since the tumor was inoperable, Denosumab was administered, leading to a significant shrinkage of the lesion, which allowed surgical intervention. Upon recurrence, Denosumab was restarted putting the patient once more into remission. Follow-up was four years overall with a clinical and radiological stable disease for fifteen months after final discontinuation of the monoclonal antibody. Therefore, our case further underlines the potential of Denosumab in the treatment of ABC.

Treatment of Aneurysmal Bone Cysts with Bioactive Glass in Children

Background and Aims:

Aneurysmal bone cysts represent about 1% of primary bone tumors. The standard treatment is curettage, followed by local adjuvant treatments and bone grafting. The problem is the high recurrence rate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the use of bioactive glass as a filling material in the treatment of aneurysmatic bone cysts in children.

Material and Methods:

A total of 18 consecutive children (mean 11.3 years at surgery; 10 males; 11 lower, 6 upper limb, 1 pelvis; 15 with primary surgery) with histologically proven primary aneurysmal bone cysts operated with curettage and bioactive glass filling between 2008 and 2013 were evaluated after a mean follow-up of 2.0 years (range, 0.7–5.1 years).

Results:

Two (11%) patients showed evidence of aneurysmal bone cyst recurrence and both have been re-operated for recurrence. Bone remodeling was noted in all patients with remaining growth and no growth plate disturbances were recorded. Two patients needed allogeneic blood transfusion. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were recorded.

Conclusion:

We conclude that bioactive glass is a suitable filling material for children with primary aneurysmal bone cyst. Bioactive glass did not affect bone growth and no side effects were reported.

Radiotherapy for aneurysmal bone cysts : A rare indication

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are rapidly growing benign osseous lesions composed of blood-filled channels separated by fibrous septa. Since the value of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for ABC has not been well defined, the German Cooperative Group on Radiotherapy for Benign Diseases performed the national register study described herein.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Five German institutions collected data regarding clinical features, treatment concepts, and outcome for patients with ABC who had been referred for local EBRT over the past 30 years.

RESULTS

Between 1990 and 2015, 10 patients with ABC were irradiated (5 female/5 male). Median age was 23 years (range 14-40 years). Involved sites were: spine (n = 3), sacrum/pelvis (n = 2), shoulder/scapula (n = 2), humerus (n = 1), femur (n = 1), and radius (n = 1). The median EBRT total and fractional doses were 28 Gy (range 5-40 Gy) and 2 Gy (range 1-2 Gy), respectively. Median follow-up was 65 months (range 12-358 months). Persistent pain relief was achieved for all patients. However, long-term follow-up response data were only available for 7/10 patients. All 7 patients exhibited a radiological response and experienced no recurrent disease activity or pain during follow-up. Acute and late radiogenic toxicities ≥ grade 3 and secondary malignancies were also not observed.

CONCLUSION

Primary or adjuvant EBRT seems to be an effective and safe treatment option for persistent or recurrent ABC. Fractionated doses below 30 Gy may be recommended.

Can ethanol be used as an adjuvant to extended curettage in order to reduce the recurrence rate of aneurysmal bone cyst?

OBJECTIVE

The best treatment of aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of extended curettage and ethanol as an adjuvant to reduce local recurrence of ABCs.

METHODS

Retrospectively, 68 cases treated for primary and secondary ABCs caused by benign tumors from 2003 to 2013 were enrolled to a follow-up visit between one to ten years after the surgery. The treatment protocol was en-bloc resection, biopsy and curettage, extended curettage consisted of curettage, high-speed burring, ethanol 96%, and electrocauterization (combined four-step alcohol-using approach) followed by defect filling, consecutively.

RESULTS

Among 36 patients with primary ABCs (16 male, 20 female, mean age of 16 years, range 3-46 years), 29 cases were treated with the combined four-step alcohol-using approach, four patients with resection, and three with biopsy and curettage. Thirty-two cases had secondary ABCs on benign lesions (17 male, 15 female). The recurrence rate was 5.88 in all primary and secondary ABC cases; two recurrences among 29 patients with primary ABCs (6.9%) and one recurrence among the 22 cases with secondary ABCs (4.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

It could be suggested that the combined four-step alcohol-using approach may result in a very low recurrence rate of primary and secondary ABC lesions.

Anomalous intraosseous venous drainage: Bone perforators?

Objectives Anomalous intraosseous venous drainage is a rare and almost unknown entity; only 14 cases have been reported in the literature and 4 mentioned in textbooks. We report the characteristics of 35 further cases observed in 32 patients. Method After the presentation of two cases at the congress of the French Society of Phlebology in Paris (2013), 12 colleagues joined to present a large series of so-called bone perforators observed in their practice, all identified with at least a duplex investigation. Results Thirty-two patients suffering from varicose veins and/or skin changes (C₂-C₆) associated with a bone perforator of the tibia (with bilateral anomalies in three) are reported: 19 females and 13 males, average age 56.9. The majority of the affected legs were symptomatic (30/35). Bone perforator was an isolated finding in 27/35 legs. In three cases, the investigations revealed that the venous reflux in the bone originated from an incompetent posterior tibial vein. Conclusions We suggest the name of "bone perforators" for an anomalous tibial intraosseous venous drainage, feeding varicose veins, and in more advanced stages lipodermatosclerosis and leg ulcers. Most of them were successfully treated with surgery or sclerotherapy.

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.

Paediatric musculoskeletal interventional radiology

Interventional radiology technique is now well established and widely used in the adult population. Through minimally invasive procedures, it increasingly replaces surgical interventions that involve higher percentages of invasiveness and, consequently, of morbidity and mortality. For these advantageous reasons, interventional radiology in recent years has spread to the paediatric age as well. The aim of this study was to review the literature on the development, use and perspectives of these procedures in the paediatric musculoskeletal field. Several topics are covered: osteomuscle neoplastic malignant and benign pathologies treated with invasive diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures such as radiofrequency ablation in the osteoid osteoma; invasive and non-invasive procedures in vascular malformations; treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts; and role of interventional radiology in paediatric inflammatory and rheumatic inflammations. The positive results that have been generated with interventional radiology procedures in the paediatric field highly encourage both the development of new ad hoc materials, obviously adapted to young patients, as well as the improvement of such techniques, in consideration of the fact that childrens' pathologies do not always correspond to those of adults. In conclusion, as these interventional procedures have proven to be less invasive, with lower morbidity and mortality rates as well, they are becoming a viable and valid alternative to surgery in the paediatric population.

Comparison between the use of 99% ethanol and 3% polidocanol in percutaneous echoguided sclerotherapy treatment of simple renal cysts

AIM

In this study, we compared and valued efficacy and safety of percutaneous echoguided sclerotherapy (PES) using 3% polidocanol with that using 99% ethanol in the treatment of patients with simple renal cysts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PES was performed for 65 simple renal cysts. Under ultrasonographic guidance the cyst was punctured using an 18 gauge needle. Sclerotherapy was performed with ethanol in 55% (36/65) of cases and with polidocanol in the remaining 45% (29/65). Patients were followed up with an ultrasound examination at 4 months, 8 months, and then at yearly intervals. A reduction of 50% or greater in cyst diameter was considered successful.

RESULTS

The median followup period for the ethanol and polidocanol groups was 24.6 and 22.8 months, respectively. The successful outcome ratio of the polidocanol group was significantly higher (90% vs. 61%, respectively) than the one of the ethanol group (P = 0.003). The partial regression of the ethanol and polidocanol groups were 6% versus 7%, respectively. The failure ratio of the polidocanol group was significantly lower (3% vs. 33%, respectively) than that of the ethanol group (P = 0.004). Neither infectious complications nor hyperthermia occurred in all treated cases. However, these methods are not completely free from symptoms. All these symptoms disappeared few hours after the procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

Polidocanol is a safe and effective sclerosing agent for renal cysts, with superior clinical results than ethanol. Therefore, polidocanol can be an alternative to ethanol in sclerotherapy of renal cysts.

Treatment Challenges with Benign Bone Tumors of the Orbit

Benign mesenchymal tumors of the craniofacial complex present unique challenges for orbital surgeons because of their potential for orbital compartment syndrome, ocular morbidity, and facial disfigurement and because definitive surgical management may be associated with significant morbidity. While the precise classification of such lesions depends on radiologic as well as histologic evaluations and remains controversial, benign tumors involving the bony walls of the orbit share features of bony expansion, facial deformity, and the potential to cause significant orbital and ophthalmic morbidity. We herein present 2 cases of benign mesenchymal tumors with bony involvement in the orbitofacial region (1 juvenile ossifying fibroma and 1 central giant cell granuloma) and review the current management of similar benign fibro-osseous and reactive bone lesions of the orbit. These rare entities presented share common orbital and ophthalmic manifestations and remain without any effective definitive treatment options.

Treatment of an aggressive aneurysmal bone cyst with percutaneous injection of polidocanol: a case report

Introduction

Aneurysmal bone cysts are benign tumours that usually present in childhood. Aggressive forms have been described, which are often treated with surgery that entails major resection and reconstruction. Polidocanol sclerotherapy has recently been reported to have excellent results and promises to replace operative treatments, but its efficacy in the case of aggressive aneurysmal bone cysts has not been documented.

Case presentation

An 18-year-old woman from Sweden presented with pain in her shoulder and a rapidly progressing cystic bone lesion. The differential diagnosis was a rare, aggressive form of aneurysmal bone cyst or a sarcoma of the proximal humerus. She was successfully treated using sequential percutaneous injections of polidocanol after exclusion of malignancy.

Conclusions

Management of aggressive aneurysmal bone cysts has thus far relied on open surgery. We propose that non-operative treatment with polidocanol is efficient even in the aggressive form of the aneurysmal bone cyst.

Background acetabular aneurysmal bone cyst in a 7 year-old: Presentation of a case

The bone cyst is a rare benign tumor that usually develops in childhood. There are several treatment options, however when it is located within the pelvis treatment is complex. A 7 year-old patient who presented with 3 months of right hip pain and limping. The initial radiograph showed a discrete periostic reaction and acetabulum effacement. The MRI and CT scans suggested the diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst and was confirmed by open biopsy. Two serial embolizations were performed with good results, the patient was asymptomatic one year after.

[New surgical treatment options for bone tumors]

Primary bone neoplasms can be classified into benign, locally/aggressive and rarely metastasizing and malignant tumors. Patients with benign tumors usually undergo surgical treatment in cases of local symptoms, mainly consisting of pain or functional deficits due to compression of important anatomical structures, such as nerves or blood vessels. Locally/aggressive and rarely metastasizing tumors exhibit an infiltrative growth pattern, so that surgical treatment is necessary to prevent further destruction of bone leading to local instability. Finally, the surgical treatment of malignant tumors is, with few exceptions, considered to be a prerequisite for long-term survival, either alone or in combination with systemic chemotherapy. Whereas the main objective of surgery in the treatment of benign tumors is relief of local symptoms with a minimum amount of damage to healthy tissue and minimizing the risk of local recurrence while ensuring bone stability in locally aggressive and rarely metastasizing tumors, the primary goal in the operative treatment of bone sarcomas is the resection of the tumor with clear surgical margins followed by defect reconstruction and the preservation of function. This review examines the current developments in the surgical treatment of primary bone neoplasms with respect to the management of the tumors and novel reconstructive options.

Subperiosteal resection of fibular aneurysmal bone cyst

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) of the fibula poses a challenge as to the most appropriate treatment particularly in children and adolescents. A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the results of subperiosteal resection of fibular ABCs. Eleven patients (six boys and five girls) with an average age of 12.4 years (6-18 years) were treated by subperiosteal resection of ABC of the fibula. The lesion was juxtaphyseal in three patients (two distal and one proximal), metaphyseal in seven and diaphyseal in one. All cysts were active and centrally located type 2. The modified Enneking scoring system was used for final functional evaluation while a scale proposed by the author was used for final radiological assessment. At the final follow-up, there was no difference in the range of movement, alignment or stability of the ankle or the knee when compared with the opposite side. Three patients complained of mild discomfort on heavy activity. One patient had failure of healing that was related to the use of suction drain. After a mean follow-up of 41.6 months (24-64 months), the mean functional score was 98.8% (93-100%). According to the proposed radiological scale, six patients were rated excellent, three good, one fair and one poor. In conclusion, subperiosteal resection is effective in eradicating fibular ABCs, regenerates a new bone and avoids the morbidity of other techniques.