Chondrosarcoma of a thoracic vertebra

Central chondrosarcoma is an uncommon primary malignancy of the axial skeleton which usually affects the posterior elements or the posterior part of a vertebral body. We present an unusual case of chondrosarcoma involving the anterior part of a thoracic vertebra with massive extravertebral extension into the posterior mediastinum. The roles of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in identifying this pathology are emphasized.