[Benign tumors of the spine]

The most common benign tumors and tumor-like lesions are presented from the aspects of localization in the spinal column and the resulting implications for diagnosis and therapy. For some of these tumors (aneurysmal bone cysts, osteoblastomas, giant cell tumors), von Enneking's suggested staging classification (latent, active, aggressive) is valuable for planning the operation (curettage, tumor removal with healthy tissue margins, wide en bloc resection). If the tumor stage is evaluated preoperatively, problems can be avoided such as overtreatment leading to loss of stability that could have been avoided or the danger of recurrence because the operation was not sufficiently radical. Embolization of the tumor vessels, as an adjuvant measure, not only makes the excision of highly vascular tumors easier, but also can be a means of curbing tumor growth in inoperable cases.