Korean J Pain.  2005 Dec;18(2):255-258. 10.3344/kjp.2005.18.2.255.

Benign and Malignant Tumors Detected in the Patients with Intractable Chest Pain: 2 case reports

• Kwon MA
• Park JH
• Yoo RG
• Kim TH
• Sim WS

• KMID: 2278002
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2005.18.2.255

Abstract

Many patients with intractable chest pain visit pain clinics, two of which, with rare cases of an intraspinal tumor and malignant mesothelioma were experiences at our clinic. A 37-year old female patient presented with exacerbating chest pain, but without neurological manifestations, of 15-months duration. Her laboratory findings, such as blood tests, chest X-ray, EKG, abdominal ultrasonography and chest CT, were normal. MRI revealed an intradural extramedullary schwannoma at the T 5 and 6 levels of the thoracic spine. She completely recovered following a laminectomy, with removal of the tumor. The other case was a 65-year old male patient, who presented with chest and back pain in the thoracic area of 6 months duration. He had no cough and dyspnea, and was initially misdiagnosed with intercostal neuralgia; therefore, pain control medication was administered, but all trials were ineffective. Finally, chest CT revealed a malignant mesothelioma, with multiple spine metastases. In conclusion, patients with intractable chest pain should be re-examined both clinically and radiographically.

Keyword

back pain; chest pain; mesothelioma; schwannoma; spinal cord neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Back Pain
Chest Pain*
Cough
Dyspnea
Electrocardiography
Female
Hematologic Tests
Humans
Laminectomy
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Mesothelioma
Neoplasm Metastasis
Neuralgia
Neurilemmoma
Neurologic Manifestations
Pain Clinics
Spinal Cord Neoplasms
Spine
Thorax*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Ultrasonography