Spinal Metastases

Key points

• Patients may present with spinal metastases before developing metastatic spinal cord compression. It is, therefore, important to detect these patients early before any neurological compromise develops. Symptoms and findings
• Unrelenting lumbar back pain
• Any thoracic or cervical back pain
• Worse with sneezing, coughing or straining
• Associated with tenderness If any neurological features are present then spinal cord compression must be suspected and acted on promptly. Without neurological features, a whole spine MRI should be completed within one week.