Giant Cell Tumor of the Mobile Spine Occurring in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Literature Review

Giant cell tumor (GCT) is a benign, locally aggressive tumor that rarely occurs in the spine. They usually occur in patients between 20 and 40 years of age; some patients with GCT present in hospital with pregnancy. The management of these patients can be challenging. The current study reports a case of GCT located in the sixth thoracic vertebra of a 31‐year‐old female at 34 weeks of gestation. An osteolytic lesion, 3.5 cm × 3.5 cm in diameter, was identified on CT. An MRI test of the lesion revealed a soft tissue mass involving the T _6–7 vertebrae, extending to the right pedicle of the T ₆ vertebra and causing significant spinal cord compression. The patient delivered a healthy boy by cesarean at 35 weeks of gestation. One week later, she underwent a T ₆–T ₇ laminectomy, posterior spinal decompression, and instrument fusion. Ultimately, the patient was discharged to inpatient rehabilitation with improved lower extremity strength and returned bowel and bladder function. At the 2‐year follow‐up, there is no evidence of local reoccurrence and the patient has no constitutional symptoms. The present study also reviews eight similar previously reported cases of GCT in the mobile spine, with a discussion of the demographic characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of pregnant patients. This report adds to the existing literature, making the reader aware that clinical symptoms of GCT in the mobile spine can be misinterpreted as a symptom of pregnancy. For spinal GCT in pregnant women, continued pregnancy and definitive surgery after the baby is born are recommended without any serious nerve damage.