Background: In the WHO 2016 classification of central nervous system tumors, solitary fibrous tumors (SFT) and hemangiopericytomas (HPC) were considered part of the same category given a shared mutation. Nevertheless, since the new 2021 WHO classification, the term "hemangiopericytoma" has been retired, and SFT is considered an independent pathological entity.
Methods: We reviewed the literature following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines focusing on the treatment options and prognosis of patients with cervical SFT. We also present a 68-year-old female with spinal intradural extramedullary SFT complicated by diffuse extension into paravertebral tissues and muscles.
Results: We found 38 cervical SFT in the literature. Patients averaged 47.3 years of age and 47.4% were female. Typically, these lesions spanned two spinal levels resulting in cord compression and most frequently exhibited benign features (i.e., diagnosed as Grade I SFTs). Interestingly, two patients exhibited distant metastases and had initial pathology consistent with grade II SFT.
Conclusion: SFT of the cervical spine is rare and its management varies according to the histological grade and the clinical behavior, generally warranting surgical excision and adjuvant radiation therapy and/or systemic chemotherapy.
Keywords: Adjuvant chemotherapy; Cervical spine; Hemangiopericytoma; Solitary fibrous tumor; Spinal tumor.
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