Fig. 18
From: Bone up on spinal osseous lesions: a case review series
Chondrosarcoma. Axial CT image in the soft tissue window (a) demonstrates a mass centered at the left paravertebral region with expansile ring and arc calcifications (arrows), typical of a chondroid tumor matrix. On sagittal off-midline CT image (b), the tumor is seen extending over multiple vertebral levels. Sagittal GRE image (c) demonstrates areas of low signal within the tumor, due to its calcific components. Sagittal T1-weighted image (d) demonstrates variable signal intensity of the tumor. Axial T2-weighted image (e) demonstrates lobular, predominantly high signal intensity of the tumor due to the high-water content of hyaline cartilage. Additionally, there is epidural extension of the tumor (black arrow), displacing the spinal cord. Peripheral areas of low signal intensity are due to calcifications. The T1 fat-suppressed post-contrast image (f) demonstrates enhancement along the periphery and internal septa (white arrows). The non-enhancing areas represent hyaline cartilage, cystic mucoid tissue and necrosis