Primary liposarcoma of the thoracic spine: case report

Eur Spine J. 2005 Aug;14(6):613-8. doi: 10.1007/s00586-004-0866-2. Epub 2005 Apr 30.

Abstract

Liposarcoma is a malignant tumor of soft tissue. The thoracic spine is an unusual location, even for metastasis, and to our knowledge, no case of primary pleomorphic liposarcoma of the vertebral body has been reported until now. A female patient presented with paraplegia. She had a previous medical history of mental depression, and complained of dorsal pain for three months following a road accident. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed a collapse of T7-T8, and the diagnosis of plasmocytoma was made. She was treated with decompressive laminectomy and posterior instrumentation. Histological examination revealed a pleomorphic liposarcoma. She received a course of radiotherapy. At 13 months follow-up she developed pulmonary metastases and rib involvement. The spine is an unusual location for pleomorphic liposarcoma, even as metastasis. The differential diagnoses of this rare entity are discussed, as well as the criteria for diagnosing primary spinal liposarcoma. Although rare, our case demonstrates that liposarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal tumors.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Liposarcoma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Liposarcoma / pathology*
  • Liposarcoma / radiotherapy
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Spinal Cord Compression / diagnostic imaging
  • Spinal Cord Compression / pathology
  • Spinal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Spinal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Spinal Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Thoracic Vertebrae / diagnostic imaging
  • Thoracic Vertebrae / pathology