Metastatic spine disease: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and evaluation of patients

Spinal metastasis is the most commonly en-countered tumor of the spine and represents an ominous extension of neoplastic disease. Symptomatic spinal metastases produce a characteristic clinical syndrome beginning with local back or neck pain. All too often, the significance of presenting pain is not appreciated and correct diagnosis is delayed until more blatant manifestations of spinal cord or nerve root dysfunction are manifest. Pain is followed by weakness,numbness, and sphincter dysfunction. The natural history is one of relentless progression to complete and irreversible paralysis unless timely treatment is undertaken. Plain radiographs provide a simple and useful screening test. MRI is, however, the imaging method of choice, providing information concern-ing the level, location, and geometry of the spinal tumor as well as details concerning the bony integrity of the spine, particularly adjacent to a culpable tumor, all of which is essential to determine the management options and treatment strategies. Percutaneous image-guided biopsy is a useful test to establish a tissue diagnosis.