L3 Metastatic Tumor from Adenocarcinoma of Lung

A 64-year-old gentleman presented with back pain. He had been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung 6 months earlier and was undergoing treatment.

MRI revealed metastasis to the L3 vertebra with a pathological fracture. However, CT scan showed that there was no gross bony destruction — the vertebra was weakened but structurally had some integrity remaining.

He was treated with Vertebroplasty — a minimally invasive procedure in which cement is injected into the affected vertebra through a thin cannula inserted into its pedicle. The cement hardens and stabilizes the fractured vertebra.

This procedure gives dramatic pain relief and can be performed as a daycare procedure — no hospital admission required — under local anesthesia. The patient was then treated with radiation therapy after the procedure to control the metastatic disease.