Preoperative embolisation of spinal metastases]

In the management of spinal metastases bringing about neurological symptoms and signs, palliative surgical treatment plays an important role. The goals of surgery are preservation of neurological function especially that of the mobility, pain relief and local tumor control. Many of spinal metastases are hypervascularised, accordingly, preoperative embolisation offers logically improvement in technical realisation of surgery by means of reduction of intraoperative profuse bleeding. To prove this working hypothesis a retrospective analysis was performed. Results of preoperative transarterial embolisation of hypervascularised spinal tumours were worked up from 2000 to 2012. By means of 2 case presentations - to our knowledge, first in the Hungarian literature - the techniques of transarterial spinal embolisation of spinal metastases are described. Indications, complications and effect on intraoperative bleeding events of the embolisation procedure in these oncological cases are presented on the basis of literature search and of our own experience. The case analyses, based mainly on qualitative retrospective data, support the notion that histologically known spinal hypervascularised metastases or those found to be hypervascularised by MRI can be treated effectively by means of preoperative superselective embolisation without major risks of morbidity or mortality.Abstract available from the publisher.