Spine
2007 Jun 15; 32 (14): E394-6.
Haasper C, Länger F, Rosenthal H, Knobloch K, Mössinger E, Krettek C, Bastian L.
Trauma Department, Hannover Medical School, Germany.
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: Case report.
OBJECTIVE: To present a rare case of a notochordal cell tumor.
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: We report on a 27-year-old female patient with pain at the lower back and muscle cramps in the area of the right hip. Image studies demonstrated a cystic lesion of the coccyx.
METHODS: As clinical symptoms became chronic and were resistant to conservative treatment, a resection of the coccyx was performed.
RESULTS: Histology revealed an intraosseous benign notochordal cell tumor. This tumor represents a recently described notochordal cell proliferation biologically distinct from chordomas.
CONCLUSIONS: Overdiagnosis of these notochordal cell proliferations as chordomas may occur if clinicians and pathologists are unfamiliar with the spectrum of notochordal proliferations.