Original scientific paper

Large Chondrosarcoma of the Lumbar Spine – A Rare yet Important Cause of Lower Back Pain

Miljenko Franić ; University of Zagreb, University Hospital Dubrava, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zagreb, Croatia
Stjepan Dokuzović ; University of Zagreb, University Hospital Dubrava, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zagreb, Croatia
Srećko Marušić ; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, University Hospital Dubrava, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Clinic for Internal Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Vladimir Kovač ; University of Zagreb, University Hospital Dubrava, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

We report a case of a large chondrosarcoma of an L4 vertebral body causing iliac vein thrombosis. The slow-growing tumor eluded definitive diagnosis early in its development since the main symptom it caused was only lower back pain. Five years after onset of the disease, the patient presented with fever, tenderness and swelling in the leg, the tumor was diagnosed and found to be exerting a mass effect causing further pain and compressing the left common iliac vein. Due to inoperability of the tumor, a multidisciplinary surgical approach was used to resect the majority of the tumor as a palliative measure and rid the patient of her symptoms. Due to the chemoresistance and relative radioresistance of these tumors, prompt full surgical resection before the tumor invades vital structures remains the mainstay of successful treatment of chondrosarcoma of the spine.

Keywords

chondrosarcoma; spine; iliac vein; thrombosis; case report; surgery

Hrčak ID:

128221

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/128221

Publication date:

30.9.2014.

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