Tumors are rare in this location. Possibilities include those that involve the spine at any location. Some factors pertinent to this location:
a) primary bone
● chondroma
● chondrosarcoma: rare in the craniovertebral junction. Lobulated tumors with calcified areas
● chordoma: slow-growing radioresistant malignancy
● osteochondroma (chondroma)
● osteoblastoma
● osteoid osteoma: more common in posterior elements than VB
● giant-cell tumors of bone: typically arise in adolescence. Lytic with bony collapse
b) metastatic: including
● typical metastases that spread hematogenously to bone, including: breast cancer, prostate cancer, malignant melanoma, paraganglioma, renal cell carcinoma
● extension of regional tumors: nasopharyngeal tumors, craniopharyngioma
c) meningioma
d) neurofibroma
e) miscellaneous
● plasmacytoma
● multiple myeloma
● Langerhans cell histiocytosis: osteolytic defect with progressive vertebral collapse.
Occasionally occur in C2 ● Ewing’s sarcoma: malignant. Peak incidence during 2nd decade of life
● aneurysmal bone cyst