An aneurysmal bone cyst in the cervical spine of a 10-year-old girl: a case report.

Publication/Presentation Date

6-15-2006

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: An aneurysmal bone cyst in the neural arch of the fourth cervical vertebra of a 10-year-old girl is reported, along with a brief review of the literature on the topic.

OBJECTIVE: To report the presentation and diagnosis of this disorder along with a discussion of the major pitfalls of treatment.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: An aneurysmal bone cyst occurs commonly in the second decade, with a predilection for the lumbar spine. With occurrence in the neural arch of a cervical vertebra, the potential for instability following surgical excision is high.

METHODS: A 10-year-old white female presented with neck pain of 3 months' duration. Diagnostic imaging revealed an expansile lytic lesion in the spinous process and lamina of the fourth cervical vertebra. Surgical treatment consisted of excisional biopsy and a segmental instrumented posterior fusion from C3-C5. The histopathology was consistent with an aneurysmal bone cyst.

RESULTS: Surgical excision consisting of laminectomy and instrumented segmental fusion provided a good clinical result, and minimized the risk and degree of the 2 most common complications: recurrence of the tumor; and postlaminectomy kyphosis, a frequent occurrence in the pediatric population.

CONCLUSIONS: In pediatric patients who develop a bone tumor of the posterior elements of the cervical spine, careful clinical and radiologic evaluation is necessary to narrow the differential diagnosis. In most cases, a complete excision should be performed if possible. The risk of postlaminectomy kyphosis is high in the pediatric age population. As such, a fusion should be considered whenever a laminectomy is performed in the immature cervical spine. Risk factors for kyphosis include a high cervical level, multiple laminectomy levels, and postoperative irradiation.

Volume

31

Issue

14

First Page

475

Last Page

479

ISSN

1528-1159

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

16778679

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article

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