Introduction:

Spinal tumors are rare neoplasms that can be of primary or secondary origin. Those of primary origin are those that present with less clinical recurrence, and are generally characterized by manifestations of local pain and to a lesser extent, by neurological involvement.

Objective:

To describe the diagnostic process of a patient with lumbar spine tumor, the treatment received and the evolution.

Clinical report:

We report a case of a 77-year-old patient, with a clinical situation of low back pain, paresis and paresthesias. Diagnostic aids such as radiography and tomography were performed, which showed an extensive tumor lesion of the lumbar spine, it was assessed for spinal surgery. Decompressive laminectomy was performed at the bilateral L4 level, arthrodesis from T12 to L5, and an open biopsy of the spinal tumor was taken. The patient had improvement in symptoms after surgery. The pathological report of the tumor showed an undifferentiated malignant tumor.

Conclusions:

The diagnosis of lumbar spine tumor is based on clinical evidence, diagnostic images, biopsy and immunohistochemistry. Once the diagnosis is made, treatment should include a combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Computerized axial tomography is used as a surgical aid. During the surgical procedure, it is pertinent to resect the lesion and to obtain histological confirmation to define the antineoplastic treatment and the malignancy of said tumor. Prompt treatment reduces the risk of neurological damage and maintains spinal mechanical stability.

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