Malignant spinal cord compression

Abstract

Malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC) is a serious event that has a major impact on patient's life quality. It occurs in 5-14% of all cancer patients and is the second most common neurological complication of cancer after brain metastasis. 1 The consequences of MSCC can be devastating, leaving the patient with pain, paralysis and incontinence. Most of the affected patients have an advanced cancer with limited survival. Even though it is estimated that up to one third will survive at least a year after MSCC, it is considered a medical emergency that requires immediate diagnostics and treatment. 2 EpidemiologySpine is the most common site of osseous metastases. It is involved in up to 40% of all cancer patients. 3 More or less every type of cancer can cause MSCC, the most common are breast cancer causing 29% of Radiol Oncol 2008; 42(1): 23-31. doi:10.2478/v10019-007-0035-4 Malignant spinal cord compression

Radiotherapy in palliative treatment of painful bone metastases

“…Unauthenticated Download Date | 5/12/18 10:37 AM sion-surgical decompression or urgent radiotherapy -should be initiated within 24 hours. 9,18 The early recognition of the symptoms and a prompt diagnosis are essential for the onset of the optimal therapy. 46 In conclusion, the single-fraction radiotherapy of 8 Gy should be a standard management policy for patients with painful bone metastases.…”

“…4 Bone metastases are associated with considerable skeletal morbidity, including severe bone pain, spinal cord or nerve root compression, pathological fractures and hypercalcaemia. [5][6][7][8][9] Although the skeleton receives only 10% of the cardiac output, metastases in the skeleton are very common as compared to metastases to other tissues receiving a far greater amount of the cardiac output. 10 The bone metastases are found almost invaria-…”

Segmenting CT images of bronchogenic carcinoma with bone metastases using PET intensity markers approach

“…12,13 These methods, also called anatomical imaging, have the major advantage of viewing the anatomy with a high resolution and drive to the contribution on the highly sophisticated RT techniques such as the three-dimensional, conformal RT, stereotactic RT and radio surgery, intensity modulated RT (IMRT) and RT with heavy particles. 13,14 All these techniques aim to concentrate the irradiation dose on the lesion area with high precision to spare the normal tissue.…”

A case with myasthenia gravis, brain stem multiple infarcts, fracture of vertebrae Th6 and discal hernia to the Th7/Th8

“…The vertebral and spinal cord patology was cleared up with MRI, which is still the best diagnostic modality providing to the clinician the best information. 16 We don't have data regarding eventual trauma. He has several risc factors for ischemic brain disease: hypertension, and he has been receving for six years now corticosteroids, immunossupresants and anticholinergic drugs.…”