CASE REPORTS   

Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences 2008 December;52(4):117-22

Copyright © 2008 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Thoracic chordoma: review and role of FDG-PET

Miyazawa N. ¹, Ishigame K. ², Kato S. ¹, Satoh Y. ², Shinohara T. ¹

¹ Department of PET Center of Kofu Neurosurgical Hospital Sakaori, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan 2 Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine University of Yamanashi, Shimogato, Tamaho Nakakoma, Japan

Chordoma is an uncommon primary bone tumor and the thoracic spine is the least common of all sites for a chordoma. It may recur despite slow-growing nature. Precise literature review will be performed and possible use of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) for detection of both primary and recurrent diagnosis will be discussed. This article presents the case of a 73-year-old male patient who complained of back pain. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, computed tomography (CT) and FDG-PET demonstrated thoracic lesion and biopsy revealed chordoma. The patient was operated on and histological findings showed the tumor was chondroid chordoma. He suffered recurrence after 7 months by FDG-PET. He received 6 000 rads radiation therapy and is neurological free but, suffered backache 15 months after initial diagnosis. Only 12 cases including this case were reported precisely and this is the first report of FDG-PET for both initial and recurrent diagnosis of chordoma.