Percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of symptomatic vertebral hemangioma with long-term follow-up

There is a paucity of literature on vertebroplasty in hemangioma. The effectiveness with short-term and long-term follow-up is an important insight for research. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and the long-term efficacy of vertebroplasty in the treatment of the patient with symptomatic vertebral hemangioma. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. The outcome was evaluated by immediate post-procedure and 3 months, 1 year, and 5 years of follow-up clinical status of the patients. The significance was determined by using a paired t-test between the pre-procedure and post-procedure severity of pain, activity score, and analgesic. The P-value < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results: A total of 38 vertebroplasties were performed in 34 patients. Additionally, the embolization of residual soft tissue was performed in 4 patient and Percutaneous alcohol injection for posterior elements involvement was performed in 9 patients. Immediate after the procedure, 44.12% of patients became asymptomatic, 38.23% of patients showed significant improvement, 11.77% of patients remained static and 2.94% of patients deteriorated and needed laminectomy. The complication rate was 29.4%, but only 2 patients were symptomatic and needed surgical decompression. There was significant relief of pain (P < 0.05), reduced analgesic intake (P < 0.05), and increased activity (P < 0.05) immediately after the procedure, 3 months, 1 year, and 5 years follow-up. Conclusion: PVP is an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of VH with fewer complications. The additional procedures like preprocedural embolization and percutaneous alcohol injection enhance the outcome and avoid complicated surgical interventions.