Spinal hemangeoma

Ten percent of people have this and unless its causing severe pain should be left alone. They are usually birthmarks, I have one on my liver. Don't panic,it's not as bad as it sounds.

Hi Samantha,

I'm not a doctor or medical specialist so be sure to discuss your concerns with one. From what I understand, hemangiomas are benign, common and can appear virtually anywhere inside or outside a person. I actually have a modest-sized one on my leg - it's bright red and about the size of a pencil eraser. One of the other respondents to your post said they have one on their liver. I had a friend who had one on her spine - they didn't even notice it until she was having back surgery for an unrelated problem.

From what I understand, a hemangioma is a situation that occurs when a number of your blood vessels get "knotted and wrapped up" together in a mass. I don't know why this occurs but it can occur and it is common. They are purely benign (i.e. not cancerous) but in some rarer situations they can cause problems in the area that they have formed and that might need to be treated. If they get big enough inside a spinal vertebra, for example, they can cause it to fracture, which can lead to pain and neurological problems.

Spinal hemangiomas can be treated but typically doctors only treat them if they are causing pain or problems. The difficulty in treating them stems from the fact that they are a mass of blood vessels and the surgeon simply has to be careful about how they are removed and about paying attention to where the blood vessels that form the hemangioma come from. But a skilled surgeon who has treated these before can deal with that.

If it were me I wouldn't be afraid (indeed I have so many other back problems arising from more serious conditions that if a doctor told me there was also a hemangioma in the area I wouldn't give it a second thought). Just ask your doctor if it needs to be treated and/or what to look out for, in terms of symptoms, were it to ever start causing you problems. Good luck.

hi Samantha I also have one on my spine and they say its not causing any problems, just check with your surgeon but try not to panic, good luck x

Samantha if you are reading this than I would love to reach out to you. I am a person who has this condition and the doctors told me that it was not an issue. 8 years later and I have a 5 level fusion with a two level laminectomy to allow room for the tumor which I call Terry. Basically my advise is that you need to really be on the doctors case and not let them push you away. If I had done something about it I would now be in a better position. I had to have my operation as a got chordia equina . However a skilled surgeon in Brisbane saved my life and my legs etc.

Be persistant and keep getting xrays to ensure you monitor the growth. Most are just a non threatening benign tumour but some are just not nice and decide to break down your vertebrae and press on your spinal chord.

I consider myself lucky to be here and am grateful.

Hi Samantha,

As others have written, hemangiomas are tumors that arise when blood vessels grow out of control. They are nearly always not cancerous, but can grown to exert pressure on the spine.

Do you have any symptoms such as:

• Bad coordination
• Problems with balance
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Pain

If you answered "no" then you should consult a VASCULAR NEUROSURGEON to:

1. Tell him that you don't have the above symptoms and
2. To image the tumor and tell you if he is sure as he can be (without opening you up) that the tumor is benign. Thereafter image it on a regular basis. Your doctor may say 6 monthly or 12 monthly.

If you answered "no", your doctor would most likely recommend

• Watchful waiting: which is offered when a hemangioma is not causing any symptoms.

If you do exhibit symptoms, then options include:

• Surgery: By a neurological and orthopedic surgeon.
• Embolization: This means blocking the blood supply to the tumor which in effect kills it.
• Radiation therapy: This is offered when the tumor cannot be surgically removed in its entirety.

Note I had a lumbar spine tumor (schwannoma) removed a few years ago, so I know about pain, monitoring change in size and what to look out for.

Good luck.

Writing as someone who had a spinal schwannoma, may I suggest:

1. Do not rely on Dr Google;
2. Do not rely on what a neurologist advises, unless the neurologist has a great reputation;
3. Go see a spinal neurosurgeon who has an excellent reputation for tumors. He or she should be able to tell you (better than what the MRI report said) what the image is showing with respect to (a) exactly what TYPE of hemagioma it is; (b) what is the prognosis if no treatment is performed and (c) if treatment is indicated, what type of treatment does he/she recommend.
4. If treatment is indicated, go back to your neurologist or GP to discuss the options.

In some cases no treatment is indicated, in some cases minimally invasive treatment is indicated. In my case the only option was surgery, which thankfully went very well. What I was not told was that I would be incapacitated for weeks.

Keep well.

Hello-

As with you, I have recently found out I also have an intraosseous hemangioma. I am also panicked based on all the unknowns and waiting to meet with a Neurosurgeon. Where is yours located and is it causing you pain? Did you come across is incidentally? Mine is at the T9 vertebrae and causing me intense pain throughout my back, down to the kidneys, and lots of other strange things things go along with it. I have had these issues for nearly 2 years with loads of bloodwork, testing, scans, etc. This finally revealed itself after a repeated MRI. My concern is how certain this is what they believe it is. And, due to causing pain how invasive the procedure will be. I just want to feel better and get rid of this stress. 😦 I'll be praying for you, Sam.