Fig. 13
From: Understanding a mass in the paraspinal region: an anatomical approach
Spinal osteosarcoma in a 23-year-old male with back pain and progressive weakness of both lower limbs. Contrast-enhanced axial CT scan reconstruction (a) shows corporeal-pedicle bone formation of L1. The presence of a fat plane between the tumour and the epaxial muscles (arrowhead) suggests that the mass turn away the epaxial muscles rather that invades them. The mass has non-specific imaging features on MRI: mild hyperintense on axial T2WI (b), hyposignal on sagittal T1WI (c), mild and heterogeneous enhancement on contrast-enhanced, fat-suppressed T1WI (d). The mass also invades epidural space (arrows). Anteroposterior radiography (e) performed after pedicle screw fixation showing bone formation in the left paraspinal region. Yellow star shows the epicentre of the mass