Purpose
To report a rare case of alveolar soft-part sarcoma in the spine. Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare, distinctive sarcoma typically occurring in young adults. Although it shows a relatively indolent clinical course, the ultimate prognosis is poor and often characterized by late metastases. However, with radical resection, long-term survival is possible. ASPS usually arises in the skeletal muscle and occurs most frequently in the lower limbs.
Materials and Methods
A 17-year-old male patient presented with a palpable mass on the back that enlarged about 1 year before admission. The mass was approximately 4×3 cm, located on the right side of the thoracic midline, and was palpated to be relatively soft and fixed, with no pain. On preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a 2.5 ×2.0×4.1-cm lobulating contoured intermuscular mass was located between the spinalis thoracis and logissimus thoracis muscles in the right lumbar area at the T5–6 level. In the T1- and T2-weighted images with enhanced view, the tumor was enhanced with homogeneous intensity.
Results
We considered the possibility of a benign tumor that is frequently found in back muscle, rather than the possibility of a malignant tumor. We performed mass excision and biopsy without prior fine-needle biopsy or incisional biopsy, with the patient under general anesthesia. The tumor was confirmed to be ASPS.
Conclusions
The possibility of malignancy should be considered in the treatment of all tumors, and accurate diagnosis is important before surgery.