Summary

The case of a 70-year-old woman with progressive renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastatic invasion of a L3 vertebral hemangioma treated by dual percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and vertebroplasty is reported. The patient was surgically treated for RCC in 2001. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy were introduced in 2013 for ovarian, bladder and cerebral metastatic disease. An asymptomatic L3 benign hemangioma was noticed at this time. One-year CT and MRI follow-up studies demonstrated a nodular isolated soft tissue lesion involving the anterior edge of the hemangioma. Percutaneous treatment consisted of a L3 vertebral body unipedicular approach to perform a biopsy, RFA with a navigational bipolar RFA device and vertebroplasty using high viscosity cement. Histopathological examination confirmed metastasis of RCC. The 5-month spinal MRI and CT examinations demonstrated complete disappearance of the tumor.