title: Chondrosarcoma of the thoracic spine: total en bloc sagittal resection. A case report.
abstract: Chondrosarcomas located in the spine are uncommon tumors and are challenging to manage. A case of a 65-year-old man with a T3-T4 spine chondrosarcoma is reported. The onset of symptoms consisted in progressive dorsal pain with sometimes a girdle-like radiation and, successively, in dysaesthesia and paresthesia from the lower limbs to the thoracic region. After preoperative oncologic and surgical planning the patient underwent a total en bloc resection of the mass. No postoperative adjunctive neurological deficits were recorded. An adjuvant radiation therapy with a dose of 5.500 centigrays (cGy) over four weeks was performed. At one year follow-up the patient is alive with no signs of recurrence on computed tomographic scans and magnetic resonance imaging. We discuss this case with particular emphasis on the preoperative planning, the surgical procedure and related prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, IRCCS San Raffaele, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. mandelli.carlo@hsr.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mandelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernucci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mortini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tartara
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scomazzoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giovanelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome