A giant vertebral notochordal rest is a newly described, benign entity that is easily confused with a vertebral chordoma. As microscopic notochordal rests are rarely found in adult autopsies, the finding of a macroscopic vertebral lesion is a new entity with only seven previously presented cases. We report here radiological findings, including diffusion weighted images, of a patient with a giant notochordal remnant confined to the L5 vertebra, with an emphasis on its distinction from a chordoma.
Chordoma/*diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Female ; Humans ; Low Back Pain/etiology ; Lumbar Vertebrae/pathology/radiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Middle Aged ; Notochord/*pathology/radiography ; Physical Therapy Modalities ; Spinal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/therapy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed