Tenosynovial giant cell tumours of the upper and lower cervical spine: two case reports

Tenosynovial giant cell tumours (TSGCTs) usually arise from the synovial membranes of tendon sheaths, bursa, and joints. They are rarely found in the spine. Lesions of the upper cervical spine (C1/2) are extremely rare, with only 13 previous cases reported in the literature. Of these, all previous anterior upper cervical cases (C1/2) have been deemed unresectable and have been managed with immunotherapy or radiological surveillance.

We report two cases of TSGCST in the cervical spine: one with a lesion at C1/2 and another at C6/7.

The location of our C1/2 lesion was unique, allowing for a new endoscopic endonasal tissue biopsy method and a new transoral surgical approach for successful gross total resection. Our C6/7 lesion had a more typical location and was removed via a C6/7 laminectomy.