Natural history of tumour-related sacral obliteration with nerve-root preservation

Abstract

Benign aggressive bone tumours can present a dilemma when the definitive treatment options necessitate enormous and permanent functional deficits. Here, we present a case of a massive sacral giant-cell tumour causing dramatic skeletal obliteration, which was successfully treated with radical radiotherapy rather than ablative surgery. The excellent functional outcome highlights the importance of nerve-root preservation in selecting treatment modalities. © 2005 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.