TY - JOUR
T1 - Vertebral synovial chondromatosis. Report of two cases and review of the literature.
AU - Gallia, Gary L.
AU - Weiss, Nirit
AU - Campbell, James N.
AU - McCarthy, Edward F.
AU - Tufaro, Anthony P.
AU - Gokaslan, Ziya L.
PY - 2004/9
Y1 - 2004/9
N2 - Synovial chondromatosis is an uncommon disorder characterized by the formation of multiple cartilaginous nodules within the synovium, most commonly affecting large joints. Its involvement with the spine is rare; only six cases have been reported. The authors describe two patients with synovial chondromatosis involving the cervical spine. In the first case, synovial chondromatosis arose from the left C1-2 facet joint. This patient underwent a two-stage procedure including a posterior approach for tumor resection and occipitocervical fusion as well as a transmandibular circumglossal approach to the anterior craniocervical junction to complete the tumor removal. Interestingly, on histopathological examination, scattered foci of low-grade chondrosarcoma were intermixed within the synovial chondromatosis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of secondary low-grade chondrosarcoma arising in vertebral synovial chondromatosis. In the second case, synovial chondromatosis involved the left C4-5 facet joint. Tumor resection and cervical fusion were performed via a posterior approach. In this report, the authors describe the clinical presentation, radiographic findings, operative details, histopathological features, and clinicoradiological follow-up data obtained in these two patients and review the literature pertaining to this rare entity.
AB - Synovial chondromatosis is an uncommon disorder characterized by the formation of multiple cartilaginous nodules within the synovium, most commonly affecting large joints. Its involvement with the spine is rare; only six cases have been reported. The authors describe two patients with synovial chondromatosis involving the cervical spine. In the first case, synovial chondromatosis arose from the left C1-2 facet joint. This patient underwent a two-stage procedure including a posterior approach for tumor resection and occipitocervical fusion as well as a transmandibular circumglossal approach to the anterior craniocervical junction to complete the tumor removal. Interestingly, on histopathological examination, scattered foci of low-grade chondrosarcoma were intermixed within the synovial chondromatosis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of secondary low-grade chondrosarcoma arising in vertebral synovial chondromatosis. In the second case, synovial chondromatosis involved the left C4-5 facet joint. Tumor resection and cervical fusion were performed via a posterior approach. In this report, the authors describe the clinical presentation, radiographic findings, operative details, histopathological features, and clinicoradiological follow-up data obtained in these two patients and review the literature pertaining to this rare entity.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=4544293971&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=4544293971&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3171/spi.2004.1.2.0211
DO - 10.3171/spi.2004.1.2.0211
M3 - Review article
C2 - 15347008
AN - SCOPUS:4544293971
SN - 1547-5654
VL - 1
SP - 211
EP - 218
JO - Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
JF - Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
IS - 2
ER -