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.

Significance of egg-jelly substances in the internal fertilization of the newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster

Japanese newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster, undergoes internal fertilization as do most urodeles. In this study, we focused on the roles of egg-jelly in fertilization of C. pyrrhogaster and characterized the substances associated with those roles. When dry sperm were directly inseminated onto the egg, normal fertilization occurred without the presence of water. Egg-jelly extract (JE) prepared with Steinberg's salt solution contained the activity for the initiation of sperm motility. A substance of about 50 kDa in JE was significant for this activity; an inactive form of the substance probably exists in JE. Strong activity to induce acrosome reaction was detected in JE. It was inhibited by the treatment of JE with WGA, suggesting that carbohydrate in JE may be important for the induction of the acrosome reaction. This study suggests that two significant processes of fertilization are regulated by substances in the egg-jelly of the newt, C. pyrrhogaster.