Malignant Spinal Tumors

Malignant spinal tumors in the growing spine,from atlas to coccyx, are rare and diverse lesions. In the evaluation of a child with persistent back pain, a tumor should be considered in the differential diagnosis and investigated. If a tumor is identified, common goals of treatment are removal of the lesion, preservation of neurologic function, and maintenance of spinal column stability. Clinical features depend on the site and level of the compressive lesion. Usually present with back pain more in night, weakness of limb, sensory abnormalities, walking difficulty and bowel-bladder dysfunction. Excision is a piecemeal removal of a tumor (curettage); this is an intralesional procedure. Resection is an attempt to remove the tumor en bloc. It's a cancerous condition. Early total removal as well as adjunct radiotherapy and chemotherapy improve outcome.