Background: Paravertebral masses of the fetus are often detected during routine prenatal ultrasonography. The most common differential diagnoses of these tumors are neuroblastoma, adrenal hemorrhage, schwannoma and germ cell tumors.
Case report: We report on a mature male newborn, who was diagnosed antenatally at 23 + 3 weeks of gestation with a tumor in the left paravertebral region. After birth the child was transferred to a neonatal unit. Tumor markers like urinary catecholamines were within normal limits, neuron-specific enolase was slightly elevated. MRI as well as ultrasonography confirmed a 3.2 x 2.2 x 1.6 cm large smoothed edged tumor in the left paravertebral region at the level of T10-T12. An open biopsy was performed, and the tumor which was located below the diaphragma was subtotally resected. Histopathology showed an extralobar pulmonary sequestration. Surgery as well as postoperative course was uneventful.
Conclusions: Extralobar pulmonary sequestrations represent rare congenital anomalies, which are usually asymptomatic. Clear differentiation between tumor and pulmonary sequestration is seldom possible despite high resolution imaging studies. Hence, a biopsy procedure should be done for diagnosis of paravertebral masses.