Intraspinal cervicothoracic junction chondrosarcoma: illustrative case.

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Oncology
• Spinal Oncology

Background:

• Chondrosarcoma is a rare spinal tumor, sometimes presenting as an extraskeletal mass.
• Dumbbell-shaped chondrosarcomas can extend through neural foramina, mimicking other nerve tumors.
• These tumors pose diagnostic challenges due to their rarity and similar appearance to schwannomas or neurofibromas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a case of intraspinal extradural dumbbell conventional chondrosarcoma.
• To highlight the diagnostic and management considerations for this rare tumor type.
• To contribute to the limited literature on spinal chondrosarcomas.

Main Methods:

• A 46-year-old female with a 2-year history of right-arm radiculopathy underwent imaging and surgical resection.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) were used for diagnosis.
• Surgical intervention involved C7-T2 laminectomy, C6-T3 posterior instrumented fusion, and gross-total resection.

Main Results:

• Pathology confirmed a grade I chondrosarcoma.
• The patient experienced symptom improvement post-surgery, with residual radicular pain.
• The tumor was an extradural mass extending through the T1 neural foramen.

Conclusions:

• Intraspinal extradural dumbbell chondrosarcomas are exceptionally rare, with only nine reported cases including this one.
• The thoracic spine is the most common location; this case is unique to the cervicothoracic junction.
• Chondrosarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal tumors mimicking schwannomas, as treatment strategies differ significantly.