Chondromyxoid fibroma of bone presenting as chronic back pain

To discuss a case of chondromyxoid fibroma presenting with low back pain.

A 50-yr-old man had an 8-yr history of low back pain. This was diagnosed and treated as arising from the disc and caused by spinal stenosis. Magnetic resonance imaging findings supported the clinical findings. Years later, a plain radiograph of the pelvis revealed an incidental abnormality of the right ilium, and the patient was subsequently referred to a musculoskeletal tumor center for treatment.

The lesion was surgically removed and the defect was reconstructed via bone allograft.

Such tumors are a rare cause of back pain. Tumors of the pelvis can at times present as back pain. In cases of refractory back pain, an X-ray of the pelvis can be a useful screening investigation. Chondromyxoid fibromas are rare tumors best treated by excision if they are amenable or by curettage and bone grafting procedures.