Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30653174›Full record

ReviewMedicine2019

Surgical management of spinal metastases of thymic carcinoma: A case report and literature review.

Shuzhong Liu, Xi Zhou, An Song, Zhen Huo, William A Li, Radhika Rastogi, Yipeng Wang, Yong Liu

Open access · goldAbstract readCase ReportsReview
In one paragraph

Review in Medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 41% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Shuzhong LiuDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
Xi ZhouDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
An SongDepartment of Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, National Health and Family Planning Commission.
Zhen HuoDepartment of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
William A LiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.
Radhika RastogiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.
Yipeng WangDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
Yong LiuDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College · CNPeking Union Medical College Hospital · CNWayne State University · USNational Health and Family Planning Commission · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleMetastatic thymic carcinoma in the spine is a rare disease with no standard curative managements yet. The objective of this study is to report a very rare case of spinal metastases of thymic carcinoma successfully operated by combination of instrumentation and cement augmentation together with adjuvant treatment. The management of these unique cases has yet to be well-documented. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 57-year-old man presented with a 6-month history of continuous and progressive back pain. The patient, who had been diagnosed of thymic carcinoma (stage IV B) for 3 years, received surgical treatment of median sternotomy thymectomy, followed by 3 cycles of chemotherapy and 12 cycles of radiotherapy. DIAGNOSIS: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of spine showed spinal cord compression secondary to the epidural component of the T4 mass, with increased metastatic marrow infiltration of the left T4 vetebral body, which presented as a solid tumor. Post-operative pathology confirmed the diagnosis of spinal metastases of thymic carcinoma.

interventionsThe patient underwent exploratory surgery, circumferential spinal cord decompression, cement augmentation and a stabilization procedure via a posterior approach. OUTCOMES: The patient's neurological deficits improved significantly after the surgery, and the postoperative period was uneventful at the 3-month follow-up visit. There were no other complications associated with the operation during the follow-up period. LESSONS: Taken together, the lesion's clinical features, imaging results, and pathological characteristics are unique. Combined efforts of specialists from orthopedics, neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, and medical oncology led to the successful diagnosis and management of this patient. Metastatic thymic carcinoma of the spine, although rare, should be part of the differential diagnosis when the patient has a history of thymic carcinoma and presents with back pain and radiculopathy. We recommend the posterior approach for spinal decompression of the metastatic thymic carcinoma when the tumor has caused neurological deficits. Osteoplasty by cement augmentation is also a good choice for surgical treatment.

Indexed as

Bone CementsDecompression, SurgicalHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedNeurosurgical ProceduresSpinal Cord CompressionSpinal NeoplasmsSpineThymomaTreatment OutcomeBone Cements

Identifiers

PMID30653174
PMCPMC6370146
OpenAlexW2911111381

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.