title: Giant cell tumor of the thoracic spine simulating mediastinal neoplasm.
abstract: A case of giant cell tumor of the thoracic spine simulating mediastinal neoplasm was identified on plain films, CT scans, MR images, and with scintigraphy. CT showed a hypervascular soft-tissue mass with shell-like calcification in the right upper mediastinum. MR imaging showed a collapse of the T1 vertebral body and a mass extending to the mediastinum. The mass had a low signal on T1-weighted MR images and a predominantly high signal on T2-weighted images with heterogeneity. Technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy showed intense uptake in both the T1 and marginal parts of the mediastinal mass. There was no accumulation of gallium-67 citrate, but 18-fluorine fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography showed marked uptake. The variation in these imaging findings played an important role in the differential diagnosis of this uncommon mediastinal mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mitsuhashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niibe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D018212:Giant Cell Tumor of Bone / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*