title: Plasmocytoma of C1 in a child. Case report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vertebral involvement is a common occurrence in myelomas, but isolated involvement of the high cervical spine is exceptionally rare. This factor, together with the pediatric age of our patient, makes this case the first report of a plasmocytoma involving C1.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 14-year-old boy, without neurological involvement, presented with cervical pain and a palpable posterior neck mass. Cervical spine radiographs showed an osteolytic lesion at C1 compressing the cervical spinal canal and instability of the craniocervical junction. After a complete study, the patient was diagnosed with solitary plasmocytoma. A sequential treatment was instituted that consisted of radiotherapy after craniocervical junction stabilization with an halo-jacket, followed by occipitocervical stabilization with instrumented arthrodesis that was accompanied by resection of the residual C1 tumor and, finally, with consolidation of the oncological treatment with further radiotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment of choice for a cervical solitary plasmocytoma consists of a combination of chemotherapy, corticosteroids, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, but the main neurosurgical problem is the craniocervical instability as occurred in other tumor of the cervical column.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Neurosurgery, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, C/Manuel Siurot s/n, 41006, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivero-Garvía
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mayorga-Buiza
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pancucci
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valencia-Anguita
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Márquez-Rivas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010954:Plasmacytoma / Q000628:therapy*; D013123:Spinal Fusion