Abstract
Hemangioma is the most common primary benign hamartoma type spine tumor. Malignant degeneration has never been reported.
In the majority of cases, this is an asymp-tomatic solitary lesion of the thoracic spine found incidentally during a radiographic examination. Only 1% of cases manifests clinically and this benign lesion is considered aggressive because of the expansive nature of the tumor and because it may cause pathological fracture of the vertebrae.
Clinical symp-toms then include dorsalgia and either root or spinal neurological symp-toms. Radiological dia-gnosis is relatively easy because vertebral hemangioma is associated with quite typical graphic signs; graphic criteria to confirm the dia-gnosis of aggressive vertebral hemangioma have been clearly defined.
The range of treatment options is very wide, from conservative treatment through frequently used vertebroplasty to radical surgical treatment. Embolization procedures, alcohol sclerotherapy and local radiotherapy are often used as complementary procedures.
Aggressive vertebral hemangioma is a relatively rare dia-gnosis, so far there are no large cohorts or clinical studies from which it would be possible to determine an optimal therapeutic approach.