Posterior mediastinal Ewing sarcoma with multiple metastases on FDG PET/CT: a rare entity

BackgroundEwing sarcoma and peripheral primary neuroendocrine tumors are aggressive neoplasms which consist of small, round, blue cells of neuroectodermal origin. They usually arise from the skeleton and consist of genetic mutations EWSR1 in chromosome 22 and FL1 gene on chromosome 11. Extraskeletal Ewing sarcomas (EES) are rare entities with most common sites of EES being extremities, head and neck region and retroperitoneum. Posterior mediastinal Ewing sarcoma is rare. For its evaluation, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F FDG PET/CT) plays significant role in staging, management planning and prognostication.Case presentationWe describe a rare case of EES of posterior mediastinum in a 20-year-old boy who presented with signs of upper motor neuron lesion below D10 level. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI) showed a heterogeneously enhancing posterior mediastinal mass in pre- and paravertebral region with intraspinal extension in D2-D4 levels. Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT showed a metabolically active mass occupying the superior, middle and posterior mediastinum on the left, displacing the trachea and esophagus toward the right side and causing complete collapse of the left lung. Posteriorly the mass was seen destroying the D2-D5 vertebrae with intraspinal extension at D2-D4 level. Metabolically active metastatic disease was seen in pleura, skull, D12 vertebra, right iliac bone and bilateral proximal femorae. Biopsy obtained from lung and adjacent pleura showed features of a round cell tumor positive for NKX 2.2, weak positive for FLI 1 and negative for PAN CK, LCA, Vimentin and TLE-1, suggestive of Ewing sarcoma. Based on these investigations, a diagnosis of EES of posterior mediastinum was made.ConclusionExtraskeletal Ewing sarcoma of posterior mediastinum is a rare and aggressive entity. Management of metastatic EES comprises radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy which reduces tumor burden and micrometastasis. However, response to treatment in metastatic EES is poorer than in localized disease with overall 5-year survival rates of less than 30%. Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT can be a useful tool to accurately detect the extent of local disease in the presence of atelectasic lung for radiotherapy planning as well as evaluating response to therapy.