Chondroblastoma of the lumbar spine - A case report and review of the literature -

We report a case of chondroblastoma arising in the lumbar spine in a 25-year-old man who presented with low back pain of 5 years duration. Plain radiography and computed tomography revealed a well-defined osteolytic mass surrounded by marginal sclerosis in the third lumbar vertebra. The mass encroached on the left neural foramen on magnetic resonance imaging. Histologically, the tumor consisted of round to oval cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and randomly scattered osteoclastic type giant cells. There were characteristic chicken-wire calcification and aneurysmal bone cyst-like changes. Chondroblastomas of the lumbar spine are extremely rare, and only nine cases have been reported. Spinal chondroblastoma should be distinguished from other benign bone tumors, because it tends to show aggressive biological behavior with high recurrence and mortality rates.