A diagnostic dilemma: A dorsal spine chondromyxoid fibroma turned out to be chondrosarcoma

Abstract

Introduction: Chondrosarcoma is the most common malignant primary tumor of the chest wall. Only a few cases were reported to arise posteriorly from the paravertebral component. Case presentation: In this case report, we present a case of chondrosarcoma, a rare bony tumor which was misdiagnosed with chondromyxoid fibroma in 50 years old male patient. The patient presented with left loin pain with no radiation. The patient underwent radiological imaging and computed tomography guided biopsy, results showed chondromyxoid fibroma, which turned out to be chondrosarcoma on post-operative histopathological examination of the excised tumor. The patient underwent surgical excision of the lesion, with improvement of his symptoms. Conclusion: Despite its rarity, this tumor can be misdiagnosed with chondromyxoid fibroma. Overlapping radiological and histopathological features can make diagnosis difficult with unsatisfactory surgical excision margins. Hence, an extensive pre-operative evaluation and adequate tissue sampling can help avoiding this confusion.