Abstract
Study design: Single-subject case.
Objectives: To describe the atypical presentation of a rare tumor and difficulties in diagnosis.
Setting: Spinal cord unit of a rehabilitation and care center in Ankara, Turkey.
Methods: A 22-year-old male patient with paraplegia was admitted to our center for rehabilitation. He underwent various diagnostic procedures to explain his clinical situation.
Results: Abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography revealed a mass and vertebral destruction. The pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma.
Conclusion: Spinal cord compression is an important complication of primary or metastatic malignant tumors. Although it is a late complication in most cases, some tumors including Ewing's sarcoma may present with paraplegia. Trauma may be found in the patient's history. An atypical clinical course in a musculoskeletal or neurological condition should alert us to a possible underlying malignant disease.
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We thank Dr H Coskun and Ms Mary C Ellis for their support for review of the manuscript and for insightful comments.
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Goktepe, A., Alaca, R., Mohur, H. et al. Paraplegia: an unusual presentation of Ewing's sarcoma. Spinal Cord 40, 367–369 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101326
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101326
