Vertebral hemangioma causing spinal cord compression during pregnancy

Hemangiomas of bone are extremely common vascular tumors that are most commonly discovered as incidental findings in the vertebral column. Infrequently, these benign lesions may cause local or radicular pain and neurologic deficits, from myeloradiculopathy to paralysis. This report describes the occurrence of a symptomatic vertebral hemangioma during pregnancy, in order to illustrate current methods for diagnosis and treatment of these lesions when associated with spinal cord compression. The possible mechanisms by which they may become symptomatic during pregnancy are reviewed.