Management of spinal cord and cauda equina compression secondary to epidural metastatic disease in adults with malignant germ cell tumours.

AIM: To review the management and clinical outcome of 10 patients, presenting to a single centre with symptoms and signs of spinal cord or cauda equina compression secondary to epidural metastatic disease from a testicular germ cell cancer.

METHODS

Clinical data regarding presenting history, physical examination, staging investigations, treatment and clinical outcome were retrospectively obtained from patient records.

RESULTS

Eight patients exhibited neurological deficits at the time of initial presentation of germ cell cancer or as a first manifestation of relapse following dog leg irradiation. Four of these cases were managed with chemotherapy alone, with excellent neurological recovery, whilst four underwent decompressive laminectomy--in three cases prior to referral and in one case after commencing chemotherapy. Five of the eight patients relapsed. Four required further chemotherapy (high dose in two cases). The remaining patient underwent thoracic surgery, with resection of teratoma differentiated. Six of the eight patients are currently alive and disease free. Two patients had chemorefractory disease and died, though one was treated in the pre-cisplatin era. Two patients presented with cord compression as a feature of disease relapse following chemotherapy, and were managed with radiotherapy alone in an attempt to achieve local disease control and limit neurological dysfunction. However, both subsequently died with progressive disease.

CONCLUSION

Epidural spinal cord or cauda equina compression is a rare complication of metastatic germ cell cancer, which can be successfully managed in chemo-naive patients with good neurological outcome.