After failing all means of conservative treatment for back pain, a man in his 40s presented with neurological deficits and spinal instability as well as intractable, worsening pain that traveled from his right hip and buttock down the posterolateral aspect of his right leg to the foot.
A needle biopsy confirmed that the lesion was a benign giant cell tumor (GCT) that needed to be excised. The surgery consisted of an intricate two-stage procedure conducted over two days. Stage one involved a complete posterior laminectomy with stabilization and fusion; stage two involved an anterior corpectomy for resection of the remaining tumor with reconstruction using an expandable cage. Near complete resection of the tumor was completed.
Full text of this article can be found on pp 6-7 of the Fall 2015 issue of Winthrop University Hospital's Progressive Neuroscience
