Abstract
Metastases to the vertebral column are often due to hypervascular primary tumors,
the most common of which is renal cell carcinoma. Clinical symptoms attributed to
vertebral body metastases include localized pain, mechanical instability of the vertebral
column, and neurologic deficits resulting from mass effect. Treatment options include
targeted radiotherapy, percutaneous vertebral augmentation with or without thermal
ablation, and surgical resection with subsequent fusion. Overall, surgical resection
of the tumor and stabilization of the vertebral column provide the best prognosis
for the patient in terms of symptomatic improvement and long-term survival; however,
resection of hypervascular vertebral body metastases can result in significant intraoperative
blood loss that can add to the morbidity of the procedure. Preoperative embolization
of hypervascular metastases of the vertebral column has been shown to significantly
reduce intraoperative blood loss at the time of surgery. The goal of this manuscript
is to describe the role of embolization therapy in the management of patients with
vertebral body metastases.
Keywords
vertebral body - metastasis - embolization - ablation - interventional radiology
