title: Secondary Chondrosarcoma of the Upper Thoracic Costovertebral Junction with Neural Foraminal Extension and Compressing the Spinal Cord.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chondrosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of bone. This family of tumors can be primary malignant tumors or a secondary malignant transformation of an underlying benign cartilage tumor. Secondary chondrosarcoma arising from a benign solitary costal osteochondroma is extremely rare. Data show that the reported incidence of costal osteochondroma is very low and they are usually found in the anterior region at the costochondral junction. To our knowledge, however, there have been no previous reports, in English literature, describing osteochondroma malignant transformation located in the thoracic costovertebral junction.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the case of a man with chondrosarcoma arising from the malignant degeneration of an osteochondroma at the right first thoracic costovertebral junction with neural foraminal extension and compressing the spinal cord.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although it is rare in solitary osteochondromas of rib, malignant transformation must always be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: sofienebouali@hotmail.fr.
authors.forename: Sofiene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouali
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Asma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouhoula
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nidhal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maatar
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Khansa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abderrahmen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Adnen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boubaker
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Jalel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kallel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hafedh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jemel
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015831:Osteochondroma / Q000473:pathology; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Chondrosarcoma; Magnetic resonance imaging; Osteochondroma; Surgery