SYMPTOMATIC VERTEBRAL HEMANGIOMA - ENDOVASCULAR TREATMENT OF 12 PATIENTS

Vertebral haemangioma is a well known albeit infrequent cause for thor acic cord compression. While surgery is the treatment of choice in pat ients with neural compression syndromes, embolization elf the feeding arterial pedicles is less frequently practiced. Twelve patients with v ertebral haemangiomas and neural compression underwent particulate emb olization of the feeder arteries. Eleven patients had a subsequent dec ompressive laminectomy. At 8 months of follow-up after radiotherapy, e leven patients had improved and in one patient, the clinical deficits were unchanged. Immediate pre-operative particulate embolization is to be considered in patients with a symptomatic spinal haemangioma.