Giant Chordoma of the Upper Thoracic Spine with Mediastinal Involvement: A Surgical Challenge.

Author: Ottavio RENA ¹ ; Fabio DAVOLI ; Giuliano ALLEGRA ; Caterina CASADIO ; Davide TURELLO
Author Information

1. Thoracic Surgery Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Maggiore della Carita", University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy. fab_78_16l@hotmail.com
Publication Type:Case Report
Keywords: Chordoma; Spine; Bone neoplasms; Mediastinum; Surgery
MeSH: Bone Neoplasms; Chordoma*; Mediastinum; Notochord; Paraparesis; Spinal Cord; Spine*
From:Asian Spine Journal 2014;8(3):353-356
CountryRepublic of Korea
Language:English
Abstract: Thoracic chordomas are very rare malignant tumours originating from notochordal remnants. These tumours develop within a vertebral body and enlarge involving the mediastinal compartment. Because of their slow-growing attitude, they become symptomatic only when they invade or compress the spinal cord and/or mediastinal organs. We present a rare case of a thoracic spine chordoma presenting with increasing paraparesis with a huge mediastinal component which was surgically debulked to decompress the spinal cord and medistinal organs.