Pessoa Diana, Vicente Inês, Pereira Carolina, Pina Ana, Freitas Pedro, Borges Alexandra, Sargento Isabel
Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisbon, Portugal.
Department of Radiology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisbon, Portugal.
Case Rep Oncol. 2024 Apr 18;17(1):556-563. doi: 10.1159/000535712. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
Head and neck cancer is an umbrella term for tumor manifestations across the head and neck regions, including the oral cavity, pharynx (including the naso, oro, and hypopharynx), larynx, and sinuses. Treatment options for head and neck cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, with specific treatment plans depending upon individual tumor location and staging, together with overall patient health status. Furthermore, definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has emerged as a highly effective therapeutic option for locoregional advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer. However, such therapy has also been linked to the development of spondylodiscitis. Spondylodiscitis consists of an infection starting at the vertebral endplates and spreading into the intervertebral discs, typically manifesting in adults.
This case report describes our clinical team's experience in managing three separate cases of spondylodiscitis following CRT for head and neck tumors that presented at our clinic for diagnosis and treatment in order to identify predisposing factors that underlie the link between CRT and spondylodiscitis.
头颈癌是一个统称，涵盖头颈部区域的肿瘤表现，包括口腔、咽（包括鼻咽、口咽和下咽）、喉和鼻窦。头颈癌的治疗选择包括手术、放射治疗、化疗和免疫治疗，具体治疗方案取决于肿瘤的位置和分期，以及患者的整体健康状况。此外，确定性放化疗（CRT）已成为局部晚期头颈鳞状细胞癌的一种高效治疗选择。然而，这种治疗也与脊椎间盘炎的发生有关。脊椎间盘炎是一种始于椎体终板并蔓延至椎间盘的感染，通常发生在成年人身上。
本病例报告描述了我们临床团队处理三例头颈部肿瘤CRT治疗后发生脊椎间盘炎的独立病例的经验，这些病例在我们诊所就诊以进行诊断和治疗，目的是确定CRT与脊椎间盘炎之间联系的潜在诱发因素。
