Background: Osteosarcoma, the most common primary malignant bone tumor in childhood, very rarely occurs in the spine. Criteria of complete tumor resection/stable reconstruction of osteosarcoma and the latest protocol of neoadjuvant chemotherapy of the spine have not been reported because of its rarity, technical difficulties, and its continued severe surgical risk.
Case report: A 11-year-old female complained of back pain for several months and walking disability. The workup discovered a large destructive bone lesion in the thoracic 12th (Th12) with vertebral body collapse and subluxation, large amount of associated anteroposterior soft tissue components, and narrowing of the spinal canal. Histology at the 1st decompression and emergent instrumentation surgery revealed giant cell-rich osteosarcoma. Following the 1st surgery, we performed three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on the osteosarcoma 95J (NECO95J) protocol and evaluated efficacy of chemotherapy on the Th12 tumor. The tumor was isolated only to Th12 spine following chemotherapy. Therefore, following vascular embolization of the Th12 tumor, we performed surgical resection by single posterior approach that included total en bloc spondylectomy (TES). She recovered well postoperatively, without motor or sensory deficit and no back pain. Six cycles of postoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy were administered after the 2nd surgery and TES. The patient was disease-free at the 8-months clinical and radiological follow-up and showed no neurological involvement at 8-months.
Conclusion: We reported a case of pediatric spinal osteosarcoma, the surgical technique of complete tumor resection, and stable reconstruction of spinal osteosarcoma. We also discussed the recent neoadjuvant chemotherapy protocol for osteosarcoma.
Keywords: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; osteosarcoma; pediatric spinal tumor; total en bloc spondylectomy (TES).
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