Background:
Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is an uncommon malignant variant of chondrosarcoma that mainly affects the bones and cartilaginous tissues, but may rarely involve the spine. Careful preoperative planning for surgical tumor removal and spine reconstruction is mandatory and must be based on oncologic and surgical staging.
Case Description:
Over 1 month, a 16-year-old female became paraplegic with a T9 sensory level and urinary dysfunction. The magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intraspinal extradural T7-T9 mass that was isointense in T1W1 and markedly enhanced with gadolinium. The patient underwent gross-total tumor resection followed by an osteoplastic laminectomy with fusion. The histological examination was consistent with a mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. She had received radiation and chemotherapy. One year later, she was readmitted for tumor recurrence with multiple metastases involving L1, the lung, and peritoneum. Despite full course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, she died after 6 months of the second surgery.
Conclusion:
Total resection of mesenchymal chondrosarcomas is the gold standard for treatment and is typically followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy. However, the status of residual tumor, local extension, and or metastases best determine the overall survival which may prove extremely limited.
Background:
Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are one of the most common tumors of the cerebellopontine angle and internal meatus, the evolution of this type of tumors is defined as unpredictable, it can enlarge or present a spontaneous regression as described in rare cases.
Case Description:
We report the case of a 50-year-old woman who presented with a large right full cystic VS revealed by a balance disorder associated with deafness in the right ear which spontaneously regressed. The patient was lost to follow-up for 3 years, the symptomatology improved, and the tumor clearly regressed without any surgical treatment.
Conclusion:
Spontaneous regression of solid-cystic VS is possible but rare, it can be part of conservative treatment, which requires regular follow-up.
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