Spinal hemangioma, causes in adults and treatment

Hemangioma - a benign vascular lesions in the form of birthmarks, towering above the surface. Most people are red nodules on the chest, stomach, at least, in her arms.

Not everyone knows that the vascular outgrowth sometimes located in different parts of the spine. In this zone, the hemangioma is not visible, but the danger of a lot more than the open area of ​​the body. Why there is a vascular growth? What to do in identifying spinal hemangioma? Try to understand.

What it is?

spinal hemangioma - a type of benign tumor that develops from bone marrow blood vessels. Recently there has been a significant increase in tumor formation. According to some, hemangioma constitute about 11% of all diseases of the spinal column. Men get sick much less often than women.

Causes of

Like any other neoplastic disease, hemangioma is caused by the complex factors that either singly or together give rise to a pathology. The causes of the disease may include:

1. Excessive load.
2. The effect of ionizing radiation.
3. Hereditary predisposition.
4. spinal injury.
5. Admission to carcinogenic agents and food.

Identify reliable factor for the disease is usually not possible, so the occurrence of hemangiomas associated with impaired human embryonic development. However, the high frequency of detection of tumors at an older age it puts this theory into question.

Gemangiolipoma - a variant of the disease, except when the tumor vessels form adipose tissue. It is noted that this form tumors often found inside the vertebral body, whereas the actual spinal hemangioma is located on the periphery of the bone. Gemangiolipoma has similar clinical presentations, diagnostic and treatment methods as classical variant tumor.

Classification

Specific classification of vascular tumors do not. By the number of spinal hemangiomas are:

• Singles found in 2 times more often multiple.
• Multiple - from 2 to 5 or more pieces (rare).

If we consider the localization of tumors in the vertebrae, the bulk of them are concentrated in the body of the vertebrae. Less common are hemangiomas in the process and vertebral arch. The minimum number of soft-bodied tumors found in the spinal canal. They are dangerous because they may compress the nerves and spinal cord. Hemangiomas are located in all parts of the spine, but are more common in the thoracic and lumbar. If you display the percentage of tumors by department, it turns out this picture (on SHmorlja):

• cervical - 5.5%;
• thoracic - 60%;
• lumbar - almost 30%;
• sacral - 4.7%.

By types of vertebral angioma are classified as follows:

• Capillary - develop from multiple capillaries - vessels, surrounded by fibrous and fatty tissue;
• cavernous - consist of several separate cavities interconnected bone formations (beams);
• blended - formed thin-walled vessels and cavernous cavities.

Tumors never occur in the upper vertebrae of the cervical spine. In the thoracic region often suffers third vertebra.

symptoms

Hemangioma spine rarely manifested any symptoms. If the tumor is not prominent in the spinal canal, and do not compress the nerve roots, a person can live a long time without even knowing it exists.

In the case where the bone density decreases naturally, hemangioma and exacerbates the situation, absorbing vertebral tissue, and its "boneless" part puts pressure on the nerves and blood vessels can develop a variety of symptoms, the nature of which depends on the location of the damaged vertebra and what is the nerves and blood vessels they squeezed. The list of complaints with which treated people with hemangioma, includes a large number of symptoms - numbness of the tips fingers, to problems with operation of the internal organs (digestive disorders, heart rate, shortness of breath and etc.).

Thoracic hemangioma characterized by such symptoms:

• Problems with the digestive process;
• Stone formation in the gall bladder;
• Weakness, paresthesias, and pain in the limbs;
• Arrhythmic symptoms;
• The women on the background of hemangiomas thoracic vertebra can be formed infertility.

If gemangioznaya tumor is localized in one of the cervical segments involved, it is typical of such symptoms:

• dizziness;
• Visual and auditory disorders;
• Headache;
• Sleep disorders;
• Tingling in the hands and fingers, numbness.

If vertebral hemangioma is located in the lumbar vertebra, then this may indicate such manifestations:

• Violations of defecation;
• Incontinence;
• Weakness in the legs, etc .;
• Pain in the perineum and groin;
• Muscular atrophy;
• Diarrhea;
• Men with such a location of the tumor may develop erectile dysfunction.

Hazardous tumor size

Vertebral angioma grows very slowly, but increasing its volume entails a vertebral fracture. As growths violation occurs stability and integrity of the bony structures. As a result, the strength of the spine is lost, leading to a high risk of compression fractures occurring at the slightest physical exertion.

As a result, a cerebrospinal substance carried a lot of pressure, as evidenced by such symptoms:

1. Feet lose sensitivity;
2. Develops paralysis;
3. Urethral processes are subjected to abuse.

In fact, less than a centimeter gemangioznye education are classified as non-hazardous, because in their treatment need arises. But if the parameters of vertebral angioma more centimeters, the expert shall appoint the necessary treatment.

Diagnostics

Most often diagnosis of spinal hemangioma is an MRI - magnetic resonance imaging and spondylography vertebrae.

MRI allows us not only to identify the disease, to determine its location, but also to establish a defeat next tkaneyi its degree of complexity, and therefore is the most reliable method of diagnosis, regardless of which department struck. Also as effective diagnostic methods are marked computed tomography and myelography.

The latter method allows, by X-ray to investigate the spinal cord and nerves after administration of contrast agent into the body, and to identify clamped nerve endings.

spinal hemangioma treatment

Effective treatment of spinal hemangiomas can be considerable difficulties due to a kind of localization. Simple removal of the tumor can lead to instability vertebral compression fracture and damage to the spinal cord or its roots. Choice of a rational treatment reserves the neurosurgeon after evaluation of the patient and tumor characteristics.

For the treatment of vertebral hemangiomas various techniques have been proposed:

1. Embolization of blood vessels of the tumor;
2. The classical tumor removal and resection portion vertebra;
3. Alcoholism neoplasms;
4. Radiation therapy;
5. Percutaneous vertebroplasty needle.

The indications for surgery are:

1. During aggressive tumors;
2. The rapid growth of the tumor;
3. Defeat over a third vertebra;
4. Complications (spinal cord compression, its roots, pathological fracture).

Patients who have revealed a small asymptomatic hemangioma may be prompted at regular dynamic observation MRI control.

puncture vertebroplasty

The real breakthrough in the treatment of vertebral hemangiomas was the use of percutaneous vertebroplasty, proposed by French doctors. The method consists in introducing into the vertebra special cementing substance in a mixture with barium sulfate (radiopaque material) and titanium.

This achieves several objectives: swelling decreases and ceases to grow, the vertebral body is stabilized and compacted bone cement, fracture risk is minimal. Puncture vertebroplasty is considered the method of choice when the vertebral hemangiomas, especially in cases of aggressive course of the tumor. It is possible as the primary method of treatment or as part of combination therapy.

tumor vascular embolization

Comprising the administration of a special solution, resulting in a vascular embolism, neoplasms and disruption of its supply. The active substance may be administered directly into the tumor (selective embolization) and to nearby vessels.

A disadvantage of this treatment can be considered a relapse due to safety of small vessels feeding hemangioma and violation vertebral structure. In some cases, embolization is technically very difficult and even impossible, and complication may become acute circulatory disorder in the spinal cord.

alcoholism neoplasms

It involves the introduction into the tumor vessels ethyl alcohol solution, wherein the neoplasm is reduced due to vascular sclerosis. Short-term results of alcohol abuse can be satisfactory, because the swelling is reduced, but the reverse side of the coin will depletion of bone vertebra, destabilization and, as a consequence, pathological fracture a few months after procedure. This circumstance does not allow alcoholism widely used in spinal hemangioma, although tumors of other localization effect can be good.

Radiation therapy

Refers to the classic methods of hemangioma of the spine, it is safer than open surgery to remove the tumor. This treatment could be applied in many patients, because irradiation is quite effective, but complications a myelopathy, radiculitis, nerve damage, skin reactions do not allow it extensively use. In addition, the need to eliminate the tumor significant radiation dose.

Radiation therapy is contraindicated in children and pregnant women. Another unsolvable problem in radiotherapy becomes tampering vertebra after tumor reduction, which contributes to pathological fractures after treatment. Currently, radiation therapy can be administered to elderly patients with high operative risk.

What not to do

Hemangioma vertebra, though it's small, not growing do not show symptoms, however, is the formation of pathological, but still filled with blood, so it has a number of contraindications to the use of different procedures and treatment events.

So, contra-indications:

1. Minimize the physical strain on the spine.
2. Exclude from their practice often very favorite massage the spine, especially, should be spared thoracic and lumbar, because it is there more often localized hemangiomas. As for the cervical spine, the light stroking it, perhaps, will not cause any harm, but caution in this case can not hurt.
3. In the appointment of physiotherapy and manual therapy for the treatment of other pathologies to know that they may be contraindicated in spinal hemangioma and notify the physician.
4. Hemangioma protect against thermal effects and at home - all sorts of heating, the heating soul, are not very useful tumor.
5. Use folk remedies, to ignore the advice of friends, based on their personal experience, only listen to the doctor.

People who loomed cheerless prospect "go under the knife" (as they call it), categorically form doctors forbid physiotherapy and thermal procedures on all parts of the spine, massage, physical load. Kohl operation is inevitable, it is better to listen to the doctors, not the brew at home all sorts of roots, leaves and stems - they will not help.

How dangerous hemangioma of the spine?

Benign vascular tumor vertebrae may have such complications:

1. Fracture of spine, which may occur without the presence of a traumatic factor.
2. Paralysis of the lower limbs, due to the damage of large nerve fibers.
3. Compression spinal cord injury, which negatively displayed on the work of all organs and systems.
4. Internal bleeding - this is an extremely dangerous condition is caused by rupture of tissue neoplasms.

Forecast

In most cases, hemangiomas vertebra does not prevent life. Hundreds and thousands of generations of people have lived quietly with these vascular tumors, and died in old age from other causes.

And only the progress of imaging diagnostic techniques has led to the fact that people have become aware of these entities, worry and try to take any - any measures. In the event that a small tumor, and does not cause any discomfort, then do not worry.

The only thing you can do - is to exclude weight lifting and not gain weight.