Study design: Retrospective case series.
Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of growth-preserving posterior spinal column reconstruction surgery in children with collapsed vertebral eosinophilic granuloma (EG).
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 15 confirmed cases of vertebral EG who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria from March 2015 to March 2018 in our hospital. The recovery of diseased vertebrae was assessed.
Results: The cases were composed of 11 males and 4 females with a mean age of 74.3 ± 38.8 months. Nine cases presented with thoracic vertebral destruction, 6 cases with lumbar vertebral destruction. Under Garg's classification, 10, 3 and 2 cases were classified as Grade IIA, IB and IIB lesions, respectively. All patients had mild to moderate night-aggravated back pain and recovered at 1-week after surgery. Three patients had Frankel D neurologic symptoms and recovered at 1-week, 1-week and 4-weeks after surgery, respectively. Follow-up time after surgery ranged from 1.9 years to 4.5 years, with a mean of 2.9 years. The median vertebral height at 12 months after surgery was significantly higher than the preoperative height. Furthermore, the vertebral heights of all diseased vertebrae displayed significant recovery trends at 3, 6 and 12 months after surgical treatment. The percentages of vertebral height recovery to references at 12 months after surgery ranged from 34.7% to 92.5%, with an average of 71.2%.
Conclusions: In children with collapsed vertebral EGs, active surgical treatment is necessary to retain the ability to restore height and to reconstruct the spine stability.
Keywords: child; eosinophilic granuloma; operative therapy; pathological vertebral body fracture; vertebral remodeling.