Abstract

FERNANDEZ, Claudio Alfredo; MIRANDA, María Gabriela  and  FIORE, Néstor José. Primary tumors of the spine in children: Epidemiology; diagnosis; staging and treatment. Rev. Asoc. Argent. Ortop. Traumatol. [online]. 2010, vol.75, n.1, pp.13-26. ISSN 1852-7434.

Background: Spine tumors are uncommon in childhood. The goal of our research is to analyze clinical and epidemiologic data, complementary studies, diagnostic procedures, staging criteria and therapeutic results. Methods: 43 children treated along 20 years were retrospectively reviewed using a case-control design. The following data were analyzed before and after treatment: pain, neurological status, deformity, limp, local mass, recurrence, survival and therapeutic complications. Lesions were classified according to histological specimens, anatomical size and biological behavior. Follow up was ≥ 2 years and Alfa was set at ≤ 0.05. Results: There was male prevalence; mean age was 9.3 years. Prevalent lesions were: Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, Osteoid Osteoma and Aneurysmal Bone Cyst. The most frequent clinical data were: pain-deformity-neurological impairment. Average diagnostic delay: 7 months. In most of the tumor-like lesions there was no correlation between histological benignancy and clinical behavior. Surgery was performed in 31 children according to three basic procedures: curettage, en bloc resection, and vertebrectomy. The specific medical treatment included 13 patients with histiocytosis. The various treatment modalities improved the clinical data. Conclusions: Favorable clinical results essentially depend on adequate staging, early diagnosis and treatment. Tumor staging is mandatory in order to analyze individual cases and to compare others samples.

Keywords : Childhood; Primary spine tumors; Staging.

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