Primary paraganglioma of the thoracic spine: a rare case report and review of literature

Background: Paragangliomas (PGLs) are neuroendocrine tumors that arise from the neuroepithelial cell group called paraganglia. Spinal paragangliomas (SPs) are extremely rare, most of which are observed as intradural tumors in the cauda equine, the filum terminale, and the lumbosacral region, but rarely in the thoracic region. We aimed to study the clinical, radiographic and pathologic characteristics of spinal paragangliomas and review related literatures. Methods: This report presented the case of a 46-year-old male patient who was suffered with pathological fracture of the thoracic spine (T4) causing incomplete spinal cord injury. With no other lesions observed, the patient was diagnosed as primary paraganglioma of the thoracic spine. Results: Under general anesthesia, total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) via a single posterior approach was performed followed by bone graft fusion using titanium mesh and pedicle screw fixation system. Conclusion: This rare case report might be helpful for the future study of the clinical, radiographic and pathologic characteristics of spinal paragangliomas.