Metastatic choriocarcinoma to the lumbar spine: Case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND

There are few cases of choriocarcinoma metastases to the spine that have been reported. Most occurrences are in women with the gestational form of the tumor, and these now exhibit a very high remission rate with chemotherapeutic treatment, typically circumventing the need for spinal surgery.

CASE DESCRIPTION

In an effort to better understand treatment options for those rare instances when choriocarcinoma does find its way into the spine, we have synthesized a comprehensive literature review on the clinical cases of choriocarcinoma spinal metastases. We also describe our unique experience and decision-making involving the first reported case of surgical treatment of non-gestational choriocarcinoma spinal metastases in a male patient.

CONCLUSION

Spinal surgery has a limited role in metastatic choriocarcinoma, but there is the potential for improving neurologic decline even in the rare and aggressive male variant of this disease.