Large exophytic chondrosarcoma of cervicodorsal spine without spinal cord compression : a case report with review of literature.

ABSTRACT

A case of well differentiated chondrosarcoma arising from the laminae and spinous processes of cervicodorsal spine is reported in a 22-years-old patient. He had presented with a painless progressive mass in the cervicodorsal region, without any neurological deficit. The tumour had a large exophytic growth without any intraspinal component. Radiological appearance of cartilaginous calcification suggested the diagnosis of a cartilaginous tumour. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) from the mass failed to differentiate between a chondroma and a well differentiated chondrosarcoma. The final histopathological diagnosis of the surgically excised tumour was possible only after a detailed radiological and clinicopathological correlation. Total surgicalexcision of the tumour was followed by radiation therapy. A review of literature is included in view of the rarity of this condition and scarcity of similar reports in the Indian literature.