Archives of the AFIP -- RadioGraphics

Figure 13: Chondrosarcoma of the thoracic spine in a 54-year-old woman with long-standing, mild back pain. Panel A Chest radiograph shows mild scoliosis and a paraspinal mass (arrow). Lateral radiograph (not shown) did not reveal prominent destruction. Panel B CT scan reveals chondroid matrix mineralization in both the osseous lesion (arrowheads) and the associated anterior soft-tissue mass (arrows). (C and D) Sagittal T1-weighted Panel C and T2* gradient-echo Panel D MR images reveal T-6 involvement with marrow replacement (small arrows) and a paravertebral mass (large arrows), which has high signal intensity on d. Panel E Photograph of a sagittally sectioned gross specimen shows the vertebral chondrosarcoma and anterior extension (arrows) and a normal superior vertebral body and disk (*). At histologic analysis, grade 2 chondrosarcoma was diagnosed.

Return to: Primary Malignant Lesions of the Spine