Management of eosinophilic granuloma in pediatric patients: surgical intervention and surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic granuloma (EG) of spine in pediatric patients presents kinds of clinical manifestation and a difficult management scenario. The choice of treatment, issues of surgical intervention versus conservative treatment, combination therapy or single treatment, all these factors, including neurological deficits, spinal stability, long-term complications, and continued skeletal growth, must be considered.

METHODS: From 2008 to the 2015, 31 pediatric patients of spinal EG were retrospectively reviewed. They were 17 males and 14 females, with a mean age 8.89 ± 2.84 years old (range, 3.5-14 years old). All the cases were divided into two groups. Twenty-three cases (Group S) accepted surgical interventions and surgery combined with local low-dose radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Eight patients (Group C) accepted radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. All the patients had imaging studies of the lesion including standard radiography, three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to and after treatment. Cases in group S underwent surgery-related treatment, which include six patients accepted surgery only, nine patients accepted postoperative low-dose radiotherapy, four patients accepted additional chemotherapy, and four patients accepted both. Cases in group C accepted radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, which include five patients accepted radiotherapy, one patient accepted chemotherapy, and two patients accepted both radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Clinical symptoms, neurologic status, radiologic manifestations, treatment, outcome, and/or complications were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTS: All the 31 patients had pain relief (both in group S and group C) but the patients in group S obtained more prompt pain relief. All the patients in group S obtained local kyphosis correction, reconstruction of stability of spine, and recovery of neurological deficit after treatment. They have no surgery-related complications after treatment and in follow-up. Seventeen patients who received additional postoperative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy also had good outcomes. There were no severe radiation and chemotherapy complications in procedure. The patients (group C) who accepted non-surgical treatment also have no severe complications, and a new femur lesion was found in one patient in follow-up.

CONCLUSION: Surgical intervention, including anterior and/or posterior approach with bone graft or surgery combined with postoperative low-dose radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy is a safe and effective way for treatment of the spinal EG. Compared with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, more prompt pain relief can be achieved via surgical intervention or surgery combined radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.