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Published on: May 6, 2018
Prognostic Differences: Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Primary Leiomyosarcoma of the Spine Versus Spinal
Nitin Agarwal1, David R Hansberry2, Ami Kavi3
1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
Objective:
The authors studied 6 cases of osseous leiomyosarcoma of the spine. Two of these cases were of immunocompromised human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated primary vertebral leiomyosarcomas. The remaining 4 cases were of patients with leiomyosarcoma metastases to the spine.
Methods:
Each patient underwent surgical resection of their vertebral mass; however, the patients with the EBV-associated tumors had the best postoperative prognosis.
Results:
The HIV-positive patients have had no further local recurrence, while the other 4 patients had rapid local recurrences requiring multiple surgical interventions. Furthermore, the patients living with HIV have lived longer with fewer leiomyosarcoma-related health complications.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that EBV-associated vertebral leiomyosarcoma is of a less aggressive variety than metastatic leiomyosarcoma of the spine.
