Primary vertebral leiomyosarcoma masquerading as a nerve sheath tumour.

A 47-year-old woman presented with symptoms of low back pain and weakness in bilateral lower limbs. MRI of the spine revealed a mass arising from T11 vertebra involving neural foramina at bilateral T11-12 and right T10-11 levels with extension to the right paravertebral region. Suspecting a nerve sheath tumour, she underwent posterior spinal decompression, stabilisation and debulking, following which her neurological symptoms resolved. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation revealed a leiomyosarcoma. A month later she developed sudden paraparesis and MRI revealed an increase in size of the tumour with cord compression and displacement. She underwent a repeat spinal decompression and debulking procedure after which she received adjuvant radiotherapy via volumetric modulated arc therapy, to a total dose of 45 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks. MRI performed 2 months later revealed complete response and she is disease free for the past 5 months. 2017 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.