Rofo 2019; 191(12): 1123-1124
DOI: 10.1055/a-0969-2254
The Interesting Case
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Giant Osteolytic Schwannoma from the Sixth Thoracic Nerve Root – An Interesting Case

Yashar Naseri
1   Neurosurgery, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
,
Niklas Lützen
2   Neuroradiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
,
Roman Sankowski
3   Neuropathology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
,
Christoph Scholz
1   Neurosurgery, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
,
Jan- Helge Klingler
1   Neurosurgery, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
01 August 2019 (online)

A 36-year-old woman presented with increasing thoracic back pain radiating to the left scapula for 3 weeks without neurological deficit. Images showed a predominantly expansile soft tissue mass of the 6th and 7th thoracic vertebrae with pressure erosions on the ribs and transverse processes on the left side ([Fig. 1a, b]). Differential diagnoses included a predominantly solid aneurysmal bone cyst (lacking the typical fluid-fluid levels), fibrous dysplasia (purely lytic variant) and a giant cell tumor (with only minimal osteodestruction). However, the pressure erosions suggested that the tumor originated from soft tissue rather than from bony structures.