Thoracic Myelopathy Caused by a Chondrosarcoma Involving the Thoracic Spine in an Osteochondromatosis Patient   - A Case Report -

Case Report

Korean J Spine 2006;3(2): 91-94.

Thoracic Myelopathy Caused by a Chondrosarcoma Involving the Thoracic Spine in an Osteochondromatosis Patient - A Case Report -

Hyun-Chul Choi, M.D., Jae-Geun Ahn, M.D., Seung-Jin Choi, M.D., and Cheol Ji, M.D.

Department of Neurosurgery, St. Paul's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

Thoracic Myelopathy Caused by a Chondrosarcoma Involving the Thoracic Spine in an Osteochondromatosis Patient - A Case Report -

Hyun-Chul Choi^, M.D.^, Jae-Geun Ahn^, M.D.^, Seung-Jin Choi^, M.D.^, and Cheol Ji^, M.D.

Abstract

Osteochondromatosis(multiple exostoses) occasionally involves the spine but rarely causes spinal cord compression. One of the most feared complications of osteochondroma is the malignant transformation to sarcoma. Prognosis depends on histologic features, patient's age, and surgical margins free from tumor. Radio and chemotherapeutic response are known to be poor. Ideal treatment consists of total "en-bloc" resection, not always achievable procedure due to limitation of location, compromise of stability and risk of neurologic deficit. We report a rare case of the chondrosarcoma involving the thoracic spine presenting as paraparesis in a 37-year-old man with a known history of osteochondromatosis and revew of the literature.

Keywords: Osteochondromatosis․Malignant transformation․Thoracic spine․Myelopathy․Chondrosarcoma