Spinal osseous angioma: gelfoam embolization

An osseous spinal angioma presented with severe back pain and cord compression. Severe hemorrhage occurred during surgical decompression, but after preoperative embolisation of the feeding vessels a second operation was successful. Osseous spinal angioma seldom presents backache of a severe nature or medullary compression. In such case, surgical intervention may be attempted without pre-operative embolization of the feeding vessels.