Aggressive vertebral hemangiomas in children

Background Aggressive vertebral hemangiomas are rare tumors in children, usually occurring in the thoracic spine that can cause significant neurological morbidity. They are technically difficult to treat with significant risk of blood loss during surgery. Methods We describe a case of aggressive vertebral hemangioma managed in our institution. We performed a literature review of reported cases of aggressive vertebral hemangiomas in pediatric age group. We discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of these lesions. Results We identified 23 cases of aggressive vertebral reported in children. Neurodeficit was the most common presentation, and the most common location was the thoracic spine. Surgery was the most common modality of treatment. All the patients reported in literature had improvement in their symptoms after treatment. Conclusion Although technically challenging, aggressive vertebral hemangiomas have a good outcome after treatment. Treatment should be tailored to the individual patient. Further studies are needed to determine the optimum treatment strategy.