Intradural chondroma in the cervical spine: case report

Chondromas of the Lumbar Spine: A Systematic Review

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review and illustrative case.

OBJECTIVES

Lumbar spinal chondromas (LSCs) are rare spine tumors. The characteristics of these intraspinal lesions are not well described in the literature. The goal of this article is to describe the features of this rare spinal tumor.

METHODS

A PubMed and Scopus search adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was performed to include studies reporting patients with LSCs. The data gathered from this review was analyzed to characterize LSCs.

RESULTS

The search yielded 14 cases of patients with LSCs. All studies were case reports (Level V of evidence). Different characteristics of LSCs are described, including demographics, clinical findings, imaging, and treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this review show that LSCs are almost exclusively seen in the extradural space and may adopt a dumbbell shape. LSCs frequently manifest in a very similar way to lumbar disc herniations; therefore, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of sciatica, especially if magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium shows peripheral rim enhancement of the lesion. Different degrees of improvement are usually observed after surgical treatment of these patients.

Identification of Key Genes and Pathways for Enchondromas by Bioinformatics Analysis

Background:

The risk of malignant transformation of enchondromas (EC) toward central chondrosarcoma is increased up to 35%, while the exact etiology of EC is unknown. The purpose of this research was to authenticate gene signatures during EC and reveal their potential mechanisms in occurrence and development of EC.

Methods:

The gene expression profiles was acquired from Gene Expression Omnibus database (no. GSE22855). The gene ontology (GO), protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG) enrichment analyses were utilized to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs).

Results:

Finally, 242 DEGs were appraisal, containing 200 overregulated genes and 42 downregulated genes. The outcomes of GO analysis indicated that upregulated DEGs were mainly enriched in several biological processes containing response to hypoxia, calcium ion, and negative regulation extrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway. Furthermore, the upregulated DEGs were enriched in extracellular matrix (ECM)–receptor interaction, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum and ribosome, which was analyzed by KEGG pathway. From the PPI network, the top 10 hub genes were identified, which were related to significant pathways containing ribosome, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, and ECM-receptor interaction.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the present study may be helpful for understanding the diagnostic biomarkers of EC.

Spinal Intradural Extramedullary Bizarre Parosteal Osteochondromatous Proliferation of Bone (Nora's Lesion): First Case Report

Bizarre parosteal proliferation of bone (Nora's lesion) is a known bony lesion that affects mainly hands and feet. In this article, we present the first case of spinal intradural extramedullary Nora's lesion along with the management. Radiologically, the tumor was initially diagnosed as a meningioma. However, histopathological analysis confirmed bizarre parosteal proliferation of bone. It was successfully managed by surgical resection followed by physical rehabilitation.

Cervical Periosteal Chondroma Causing Spinal Cord or Nerve Compression: 2 Case Reports and Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Chondroma is a rare benign cartilaginous tumor that originates in chondrocytes and is commonly seen in the long bones; however, it infrequently occurs in the cervical spine.

CASE DESCRIPTIONS

We report 2 patients with cervical periosteal chondroma that originated in the C2 vertebral body and C1 lamina as extramedullary tumors. The first patient was a 28-year-old man who presented with right upper extremity weakness and numbness. Cervical radiography revealed a bony tumor with evidence of severe spinal cord compression. The second patient was a 26-year-old woman with left occipital neuralgia. Cervical radiography demonstrated a bony tumor arising from the left C1 lateral mass that compressed the C2 nerve root. Both patients underwent surgical removal of the bony tumors, which were diagnosed as periosteal chondroma.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors herein summarized 16 previous reports of cervical chondroma and compared the clinical courses and treatments. Recommended treatment included maximal surgical resection, especially when significant compression of the cervical cord and signal abnormality within the cord was observed. Annual postoperative follow-up is mandatory to ensure proper neurologic improvement.