Soft tissue sarcoma affecting the right shoulder of a man with paraplegia from a remote traumatic spinal cord injury: a case report

People with spinal cord injuries are living longer and are often older when the injury occurs. This increases the likelihood of developing other health issues, including cancer. Soft tissue sarcomas, though rare, become more common as people age, and this report presents the first instance of a limb sarcoma in someone with long-term paraplegia due to a spinal cord injury. This case study details a 50-year-old man with paraplegia who developed a sarcoma in his shoulder. He received treatment including radiation and surgery, followed by rehabilitation. He was able to return home and live independently. This is the first documented instance of a person with paraplegia developing a soft tissue sarcoma in a limb. As the population of people with chronic spinal cord injuries ages, doctors need to be aware of the unique challenges in diagnosing and treating conditions like cancer in these individuals.

• 1
  This case report is the first documented instance of a soft tissue sarcoma (STS) in the limb of a patient with long-term paraplegia due to traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
• 2
  The patient, despite extensive surgery and radiation, was able to return to a functional level approaching his pre-morbid status due to intensive inpatient rehabilitation and a multidisciplinary team approach.
• 3
  The pre-rehabilitation assessment, focusing on functional prognostication, informed the pre-surgical planning, allowing key muscles to be spared to maintain abilities like transfers and wheelchair mobility.