title: Fibrocartilaginous mesenchymoma of the spine in a child: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Originally described by Dahlin et al. in 1984, fibrocartilaginous mesenchymoma (FCM) constitutes a rare bone tumor of children and adolescents that mainly affects the long bones. A spinal location of this tumor is exceptional. Only two previous instances of vertebral FCM have been reported in the current literature, and both occurred in young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the case of a 9-year-old boy with backache caused by a neoplasm that involved the Th12 vertebra treated with tumor excision. Histopathological diagnosis was confirmatory of FCM. During a follow-up period of 2 years, there was no evidence of disease progression. Our patient, thus, represents the first case of FCM occurring in a child.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the rarity of spinal FCM, there are no guidelines about its management. However, treatment of this neoplasm seems to be mainly surgical aiming at total removal of the lesion, if feasible, as FCM may recur locally.
authors.affiliation: Regional Service of Neurosurgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, 30120, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain. juanf.martinezlage@cablemurcia.com
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Martínez-Lage
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alarcón
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hernández-Barceló
authors.forename: María-José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Almagro
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alfaro
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galera-Miñarro
mesh_terms: D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008637:Mesenchymoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome