Hemangioma Spine

A hemangioma spine is a benign tumor that involves the body of the vertebra, wherein the medullary canal has an overproliferation of blood vessels. This tumor is normally seen in the lower thoracic or the upper lumbar spine. It normally involves only one vertebra. Vertebral body hemangiomas are relatively common and have an incidence of about 10% in the population. More often that not, these are incidentally detected and are asymptomatic. They are more common in adults and rare in children but when present in the later age group, vertebral hemangiomas are usually symptomatic. These lesions are normally thought to be venous malformations of the vertebral body in the spine. Given below are the various causes, symptoms and treatment options for dealing with a spinal hemangioma.

Hemangioma Spine Causes
The exact cause of a hemangioma is unknown but it has been said that genetic predisposition may be a vital factor. There have been many studies that have been carried out to understand what may be the exact cause of a hemangioma. Some studies point towards the possibility of localized tissue hypoxia while others claim that increased amount of estrogen circulating after birth may be an important factor (this may also be the reason why hemangioma spine is three to five times more common in females when compared to males).

Hemangioma Spine Symptoms
A spinal hemangioma is a primary, benign tumor that is most commonly seen in the thoracic and lumbar spine region. So if these are the regions affected, the symptoms will vary accordingly. This type of tumor typically affects the vertebral body, but may also affect surrounding muscles. It is most common in patients aged around 30 to 50 years of age, so this should also be an important point to note. A hemangioma is a tumor that has very few symptoms. In fact, this tumor is often found when the region is being examined for another condition. The symptoms exhibited are largely nonspecific and depend on the site, size, and aggressiveness of the tumor. Symptomatic patients are generally over the age of forty years. In such cases, patients may present with small spine fractures. If there is expansion of tumor into the spinal cord, then it may lead to compression of nerves, which in turn could lead to hemangioma spine pain, numbness or malfunctioning of the organ that is supplied by the nerve being compressed. This may also be seen in cases of large hemangiomas that usually involve the entire vertebral body. Diagnosis of a spinal hemangioma can be done with the help of a hemangioma spine MRI. They can be usually seen on the X-ray in a very typical manner, exhibiting a 'honeycombing' pattern. One may also see a varying degree of collapse and loss of vertebral height.

Hemangioma Spine Treatment
There are various treatment options for vertebral hemangioma. These options range from observation to radiation to surgical resection of the hemangioma. The treatment decision is based on the severity of symptoms or the neurologic compromise.

Treatment may include a combination of therapies, including pain relieving medicines, acupuncture, or corticosteroids if the condition is least invasive. Radiation therapy in the form of X-rays can be given, to prevent it from advancing (shrinks tumor size). Surgical removal is another effective alternative and depends on the tumor size. Embolization is another procedure through which blood supply to the spinal tumor is cut off and halts the tumor from increasing in size.

The management of a vertebral hemangioma must take into account the generous blood supply of the lesion and the adjoining region and requires careful planning by the surgeon involved as any kind of surgery of the spine is accompanied by several risks. Thus, surgery is normally the last option that is resorted to, in case of spinal hemangiomas. In certain cases, it is possible to even attain relief of spinal cord compression from vertebral hemangioma with the help of intralesional injections of absolute ethanol, which help to make the swelling shrink.

This condition is generally benign and does not lead to any severe, debilitating symptoms but if it is causing pain or numbness, then it is best to visit a doctor who can chalk out a treatment plan to deal with this condition.

Disclaimer: This article is purely for informative and educational purposes, and in no way acts as a substitute for medical advice.