Thoracoscopic assisted en bloc resection of a spine tumor.

Abstract

Spine tumors are fairly common and the management is through a multimodality approach. Lesions of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae have been treated with such extensive anterior and/or posterior approaches. The authors present a case of a 56-year-old lady with solitary T11 metastases from colonic carcinoma and a case of a 43-year-old lady with T5-T6 high-grade osteogenic sarcoma. The treatment consists of a wide vertebrectomy by posterior approach, after anterior release and sub-pleural dissection using a thoracoscopic approach. A thoracoscopic assisted anterior approach could reduce the duration and the morbidity of a vertebrectomy without affecting oncological management.