[The dumbbell shaped vertebral hemangioma developed in the pleural cavity and spinal canal]

A 44-year-old male patient visited our clinic complaining of back pain since January, 1984 and feeling of weakness at the lower extremities, sensory and vesicorectal disturbance since March of the same year. Hypesthesia and hypalgesia were observed at Th10 or below. The chest X-ray findings revealed an egg-sized tumor mass at the level of Th8. Metrizamide CT also demonstrated thoracic epidural mass. The characteristic findings of hemangioma showing delayed appearance of the tumor stain were also observed by angiography. The tumor was then confirmed as dumbbell-shaped hemangioma growing in the pleural cavity and the spinal canal. At the first surgical operation, total resection of the tumor in the spinal canal was performed by the postero-lateral approach. Although the second surgical intervention of total removal of the tumor in the pleural cavity had also been scheduled, the surgery was postponed because the patient had to return to work. The 2-year follow-up study revealed no recurrence of the tumor. And the tumor was found slightly diminished on chest X-ray. At present, the patient is still under observation. In this report, the authors discuss the therapeutic methods for thoracovertebral hemangioma including our case and reviewed in the literature related to this type of tumor.