An atypical presentation of metastatic Ewing sarcoma to the spine

Abstract

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a rare malignancy of the young, primarily arising from the bones. Uncommonly, it can arise extraskeletally and, among the rarest cases, from the spinal extradural tissues. The patient is a previously well 26-year-old male who presented with radicular low back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an L5-S1 spinal canal mass with possible metastases to the vertebral and pelvic bones. The initial diagnosis was challenging, with differentials of an intradural tumor, infection, solid organ tumor metastasis, and lymphoma. The patient subsequently underwent decompression and debulking of his spinal tumor, which was found to be extradural. Histological and pathological studies supported the diagnosis of metastatic ES. This case report highlights an atypical presentation of ES. Although exceedingly rare, young patients can still present with metastatic spinal disease. Clinicians should always consider more sinister diagnoses and investigate further, especially if red flag symptoms are present.