Myelon Stent – a New Technical Procedure to Protect the Spinal Cord Against Tumour Compression

A 59-year-old woman with breast cancer who had undergone chemotherapy, three surgical interventions at the thoracic spine, and radiation since 2012, suffered from progressive ataxia caused by a single relapse metastasis resulting in spinal stenosis at thoracic level 6. Therefore, excessive tumour debulking was performed at thoracic levels 4 to 7 and a fully covered, self-expandable stent was placed around the spinal cord at these levels in order to create a mechanical barrier and to prevent the spinal cord from compression by the tumour. Neuromonitoring was performed before, during, and after surgical procedure. Clinically and electrophysiologically, ataxia appeared improved after intervention. Radiologically, no tumour growth was found at thoracic levels 4 to 7 after the intervention.