Unusual spinal metastases from an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the maxillary sinus.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), the second most common cancer occurring in the sinonasal tract, is an aggressive malignancy with a poor five-year survival rate. Spinal metastases to the vertebral column related to this cancer are rare. This report presents a patient with maxillary sinus carcinoma with vertebral metastases at the thoracic level and compression of the spinal cord seven years after surgical resection of the primary tumor. Eleven years after detection of the primary tumor the patient is still able to walk. The role of decompression and/or fusion in spinal metastases with neurologic deficits is still under debate, although recent studies have confirmed the beneficial role of surgical intervention in selected patients. This report represents an example of modern individual treatment of an aggressive tumor in a palliative situation. The epidemiology, clinical findings, treatment and outcome of this atypical distant metastasis in long-term survivors are presented.
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology/Neuroradiology, Diakonissenhospital Flensburg, Knuthstrasse 1, D-249393 Flensburg, Germany.
S
S
Hopf-Jensen
R
R
Buchalla
O
O
Rubarth
J
J
Peters
H
H
Dunker
H M
HM
Hensler
S
S
Müller-Hülsbeck
W
W
Börm
D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000473:pathology*; D008444:Maxillary Sinus Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery