Thoracic Hemangioma From Rib Presenting as Compressive Paraparesis in a Young Adult: A Treatment Dilemma.

STUDY DESIGN: A case report.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the presentation of compressive paraparesis as a result of thoracic rib hemangioma in a young adult and its nonsurgical management.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Hemangiomas are rare bone tumors and those arising from rib are rarer. Only about 50 such cases have been reported in literature so far.

METHODS: A 21-year-old male student, presented to us with a 6-week history of progressive weakness in both lower limbs and loss of bowel bladder control. Patient gave history of being operated for left periscapular tumor treated with wide excision and proven with biopsy to be a hemangioendothelioma (benign but locally aggressive hemangioma variant) a year ago.

RESULTS: New radiograph of the chest showed an expansile lesion of left fifth rib and magnetic resonance image showed a tumor of left dorsal thoracic wall with AV malformation causing compressive thoracic myelopathy at T5 level vertebrae. We planned for immediate decompression surgery for spine along with excision of tumor with the help of a thoracic surgeon. However, on preoperative digital subtraction angiography, the tumor was found to be highly vascular with high risk of intraoperative bleeding and morbidity. So, the plan was revised and the patient underwent digital subtraction angiography, followed by embolization by an expert interventional neurosurgeon. The patient showed signs of recovery within a week. Lower limb power improved from grade 2 to 3/5 to grade 4 to 4+/5. The patient became ambulatory with single stick at 3-month follow-up; he was a nonwalker to start with. At 2 years plus follow-up, the patient fully recovered and walks without stick.

CONCLUSION: This unique case brings to light the dilemma a spine surgeon sometimes faces. A case that warranted immediate surgical intervention based on clinical findings was treated with interventional fibrin glue embolizations with excellent results.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A.