Hemangioma of the lumbar spine: a dangerous size, treatment

Known to many hemangioma of the spine – not quite the right term. The pathology affects only one or several vertebrae. Correct medical term is a hemangioma of the vertebra. Pathological education is a benign tumor consisting of vascular tissue. This disease can does not manifest itself and is often found only on surveys for other diseases. A smaller proportion of patients with hemangioma manifested pain (about 10%).

In the risk of vertebral hemangioma are mainly women over 40 years. But sometimes the pathological changes in susceptible men and even children. Though the swelling and progresses slowly, and treatment should begin immediately upon discovery.

Vertebral hemangioma – what is it?

Some blood vessels expanding, interwoven with other vessels. Tumors are formed, the inner part of which is epithelium. It is important to understand these benign tumors can be formed almost throughout the body, except for some plots. But the hemangioma of a vertebral body, like any other, can be really dangerous. Though the tumor slowly increases in size, it is still increasing and sooner or later, can cause compression fractures of the spine. The most frequent localization of pathological formations of the thoracic and lumbar spine.

Treatment of hemangioma of the spine is a feasible procedure, but the danger is in the fact that the detection of the pathology may be too late.

• Suggest to read: tumors of the cervical spine.

What is dangerous?

Because vertebral hemangioma – a benign education, is a highly should not be afraid. But such pathological education has the ability, albeit slowly, but increasing in size. Neglected spinal hemangioma has a tendency to grow through the bone, breaking its integrity and structure.

The vertebrae become brittle and one time, there could be a compression fracture.

The degree of danger in the presence of vertebral hemangioma depends on some parameters:

• Female body or male (male spine is more massive vertebrae);
• A person's age (the older you are, the more dangerous);
• Localization of the pathological education;
• The number of affected vertebrae.

Another dangerous moment – even without a compression fracture can cause excessive pressure on the spinal canal and man can paralyze, it can cause problems with internal organs.

• Suggest to read: a bump on the spine in the lumbar.

Reasons

After the formation of the abnormal formation of blood vessels often is their destruction. Blood leaving the blood vessels, resulting in a formed cavity and in a short time. In its place, begin to form tumors, filling the entire cavity and increasing in excess of its size.

To form a vertebral hemangioma may for a number of reasons:

• Genetic predisposition. A genetic factor may play a huge role in the formation of pathological formations;
• Hormonal level. The female body's estrogen levels are much higher. This hormone takes part in the formation of hemangiomas of vertebral bodies;
• Increased physical activity. When excessive pressure of the vertebrae are rapidly aging and there are cracks.
• The action of radiation;
• Some components of drugs.

The most common hemangioma of the lumbar spine and a hemangioma of the thoracic. For cervical this pathology is even more dangerous. But the main division into more and less dangerous conditions – classification according to the degree of aggressiveness:

• Aggressive hemangioma. This condition is characterized by a rapid increase in the size of the tumor. Soon obrazuyutsya cracks inthe vertebrae and compression fractures.
• Non-aggressive hemangiomas. In the presence of such tumors in the spine, symptoms may be absent altogether or very little to show. The course of the disease is favorable, the patient may all his life not even know of the existence of such pathology.

Types of tumors

Hemangiomas of vertebral bodies are of conventional division into types. If the number in one patient, we can distinguish:

• Single. The most common case of the formation of pathologies;
• Multiple. Very rare, this case is more dangerous for any course of disease.

By nature content of hemangiomas in the vertebral body, they can be classified thus:

• Vascular. The main components of pathological formations – vessels, covered with fatty tissue;
• The cavernous. Formed by parts of the hard (bone) tissue, composed of several sections;
• Vascular cavernous. This pathological formation is only partially filled with vascular tissue and some bone.

• Suggest to read: hemangioma of the cervical spine.

Symptoms

Hemangioma of the spine may have symptoms or they may be absent. Manifestations depend on the duration of education, the localization and the degree of aggressiveness of the pathology:

• Aggressive vertebral hemangioma may life be asymptomatic, but its presence can be detected only by a pathologist. However, such tumors can be detected and various tests (MRI, CT) performed to detect other pathologies.
• Aggressive hemangioma of the spine soon begins to bother the person, causing pain and disorders of specific bodily functions.

In most cases, symptoms appear only when the tumor reached a certain size and prevent normal functioning. For women and men differ in these dimensions.

Depending on the localization, hemangioma of the spine manifests symptoms in patients with it:

• Hemangioma of the thoracic spine. The most frequent pathology. Reaching a certain size, can cause back pain, numbness in the hands or the poor sensitivity, loss of appetite.
• Hemangioma of the lumbosacral spine. Too common, in connection with the increased load on the lower back. May experience such symptoms of hemangioma: pain radiating to leg and groin, a disorder of the genitourinary system, violations of the chair.
• Hemangioma of the cervical spine. Is the most rare and most dangerous. Pronounced symptoms of hemangioma of the cervical spine: a violation of visual functions, motor coordination, cerebral blood flow, sleep, headaches.

When the tumor increases its size to a critical, in almost all cases there is a violation of motor function, paralysis, numbness of the limbs.

Radicular symptoms: sharp shooting pains, pain when coughing or sneezing, radiating pain, causing lameness.

Diagnosis

Knowing what is a hemangioma of the vertebrae, you can see that for the diagnosis a simple blood test will not work. You need a more precise and qualitative survey.

• See also: the Treatment of compression fractures of the lumbar spine.

Doctors offer several types of surveys:

• An x-ray. Some pictures of the spine, showing a picture in different projections will give a lot of information. This method is budget, but the information obtained is not enough, it's not always enough.
• CT. Quite informative method is often used for the detection of hemangiomas.
• Magnetic resonance imaging. The device helps to determine the most effective medical education and is the best option.
• Ultrasound. Is if you have problems with the blood supply to the body and squeezing the vessels.

The MRI creates a magnetic field in which to place people. The sensor detects changes in the charge of the molecules of the human body and gives the full picture. The study is very informative and enables information on the size of the tumor, its location, structure and so on.

Treatment

How to treat hemangiomas of the spine? It is possible to make a conditional division into 3 types: operational , conservative, and special. The need or otherwise determined by the attending physician. If the tumor is small and growth is very slow, best to do nothing. Such treatments may not completely cure the disease, but are able to stop the progression and relieve the human condition.

Drug

To alleviate or eliminatepain in the hemangioma of the back will help some medicines. Some of them strengthen the spine and prevent tumor growth.

Your doctor may prescribe these medicines:

• Pain, with analgesic effect;
• Anti-inflammatory drugs;
• Vitamin complex;
• Hormones;
• Muscle relaxants.

Use is possible only by prescription.

Massage and physiotherapy

In the treatment of hemangiomas of the spine that something is contraindicated. The list includes: massage and physiotherapy. The thing is that this treatment can improve blood circulation, which increases tumor growth. There are authorized procedures of this complex, but more precise recommendations will give the doctor. Unauthorized to carry out massages and physical therapy is prohibited.

Traditional methods

Any funds that have a warming effect, prohibited. If there is a hemangioma of the spine, a popular treatment can only exacerbate the situation. Any attempt of home therapy must be agreed with your doctor and get his approval.

Special treatment methods

Like all cancers, hemangiomas of the vertebrae have a special treatment:

• Injection of a solution with alcohol in pathological education. The tumor is destroyed vascular tissue soon replaces the connector;
• The introduction of a special drug forming blood clots. The effect of the injection violates the blood circulation in the localization of the pathology and she was not progressing;
• Special radiation. Quite a dangerous method, which has many side effects.
• Vertebroplasties solution, causing a sharp hardening of the tumor, stopping its growth, strengthening the damaged vertebra. The process of introducing bone cement is called Embolization. Reviews about this procedure, mostly positive.

Operational

With the ineffectiveness of conservative and special methods of treatment, the doctor gives the direction of the operation. This method of treatment can hurt the patient, make it invalid. The doctor understands the risk, and therefore surgical intervention is performed only in the presence of an aggressive hemangioma of the vertebra, which progresses rapidly or has already reached critical dimensions. In such cases, there is persistent pain, preventing the person to lead a normal lifestyle.

The operation is performed in a standard removal of the tumor through an incision on the back. However, in some pathological stages of the formation of a strongly constricted part of the vertebra and no deletion can occur spine fracture or internal bleeding. At this juncture, is only part of the tumor putting pressure on the canal of the spinal cord.

Rehabilitation

During rehabilitation it is necessary to refrain from overloading, carrying heavy objects, prolonged sitting. It is impossible to conduct a massage or manual therapy, use folk remedies that can cause fever. At any sign of relapse of the pathology or pain in this region it is necessary to consult the doctor.

Complications

If vertebral hemangioma reaches a critical size, there is a great danger of compression fractures. The tumor weakens the vertebrae, sprouting it from the inside and by exercising constant pressure. When a vertebral fracture occurs numbness of the limbs, severe pain (local and radiating to other parts of the body). Another complication is a fracture of the vertebrae characterized by severe surrounding pain, inability to lift leg and paralysis.