Questions in The Neurology Forum are being answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic , consistently ranked one of the best hospitals in America. A friend has been diagnosed with vertebral hemangioma, and surgery recommended. We are trying to learn all that we can about this subject. Thanks for the question.
Vertebral hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors that occur in the body of a vertebrae.
Usually they are incidental findings, that is, they are found when an imaging study of the spine is being done for other reasons, such as back pain, or sensory complaints in lower extremities. Most likely, the observed hemangiomas have been present for a prolonged period of time. Usually, the mere presence of the hemangioma is not an indication for a surgery. If there are acute neurological symptoms, such as severe acute back pain, or sudden loss of leg strength, or loss of sensation, it is considered a neurosurgical emergency, and should be evaluated immediately by a neurosurgical team. This information is being provided only for medical education and information.