Study design: A chondroblastoma of the posterior component of the seventh cervical vertebra with tetraparesis was reported. Imaging studies showed an expansile destructive lesion with mineralization.
Objectives: To emphasize the occurrence of tetraparesis caused by chondroblastoma in the cervical spine.
Summary of background data: Chondroblastoma is a rare benign neoplasm of the bone. Only eight cases of chondroblastoma occurring in the vertebra are reported in the literature, including five in the cervical vertebrae. However, there was no reported case of tetraparesis in the literature.
Methods: A 19-year-old man had a tetraparesis caused by chondroblastoma of the posterior component of the seventh cervical vertebra, which invaded the vertebral body with an extraosseous involvement. Imaging studies showed an expansile destructive lesion with mineralization. Curettage of the lesion was performed from both anterior and posterior approaches. The defect of the vertebral body was reconstructed by autologous iliac bone graft with posterior fusion using the Luque instrumentation system.
Results: Histologically, the tumor cells were forming cartilage with round or oval nuclei, which often were indented or had a longitudinal groove. There was no sign of local recurrence, and the neurologic deficit had fully recovered 2 years and 3 months after surgery.
Conclusions: Chondroblastoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of lytic expansile destructive lesion of the spine, although there is an extraosseous involvement. Prompt adequate surgery should be performed as soon as possible after establishment of the correct histologic diagnosis to restore the neurologic deficit.