Surgical treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts of the lumbar spine: case report

Introduction Pediatric and adolescent patients with aneurysmal bone cyst of the spine are normally treated by orthopaedic, neuro surgeons and oncologists. There is no consensus on the strategy and volume of preoperative and surgical treatment of the condition. There is a higher risk of pathological fracture and secondary neurological complications, tumor recurrence if open surgery is not performed in time. A second surgical intervention can hardly be avoided in such cases. The objective was to report the result of surgical treatment of a patient with aneurysmal bone cyst of the spine. Material and methods Outcome of a patient with an aneurysmal bone cyst of the L3 vertebra is presented. The technique of using therapeutic punctures as a preoperative preparation to be followed by an open surgical treatment is described. Absence of complaints and tumor recurrence, stability of the metal construct and bone fusion were the evaluation criteria. Results The patient was followed for 17 months after open surgery and CT scans showed no recurrence and demonstrated bone fusion at a long term. Discussion Many aspects of the course of the disease are to be considered in the treatment of children and adolescents with aneurysmal bone cyst of the spine. In our opinion, the step in the treatment of aneurysmal bone cyst of the spine should be considered Puncture for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes is to be performed to reduce pathological process is reduced, and the procedure to be followed by surgical intervention to remove the tumor. The strategy of surgical treatment would rely on impaired supporting columns of the spine, the degree of neural structure compression and a secondary spinal deformity. The need and extent of metal fixation is to be evaluated, potential vertebral growth identified, expediency of bone grafting after tumor removal, radical excision of the pathological focus to be considered. Conclusion The clinical case showed an effective combination of surgical techniques in the treatment of an aneurysmal bone cyst of the spine. Preoperative therapeutic puncture of the cyst allowed for reduction of the pathological process (decreasing pressure inside the cyst, thickening the cortical layer of the cyst and delimiting the tumor from the surrounding tissues), decreased volume of surgical intervention and blood loss due to a decreased activity of the pathological process compared to cases of untimely performed open surgery. Metal fixation in combination with bone auto- and allograft was practical for bone fusion.