title: Dumbbell-shaped chondrosarcoma that primarily developed in the cervical spine: a case report.
abstract: There have been few reports describing dumbbell chondrosarcomas that primarily developed in the cervical spine; and among these cases even fewer can easily be diagnosed as chondrosarcoma. We report a 58-year-old man who complained of right cervical pain and swallowing difficulty without a particularly apparent cause. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed radiography (CT) suggested a diagnosis of dumbbell tumor. 99mTc HMDP bone scintigraphy and 201Tl scintigraphy were negative, and surgery was performed assuming the presence of a neurogenic tumor. Intraoperative histopathological examination showed similar results. The postoperative histopathological diagnosis, however, was chondrosarcoma (grade II). Retrospective discussion regarding the diagnosis of the patient revealed that gadolinium-enhanced MRI was not appropriate for a precise diagnosis and that CT was more effective. We have thus experienced a patient with a rare dumbbell chondrosarcoma that primarily developed in the cervical spine for which a preoperative diagnosis was difficult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Shigenobu-cho, Onsen-gun, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakayama
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawatani
authors.forename: Teruki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kidani
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Taketsugu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujibuchi
authors.forename: Haruyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009192:Myelography; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed