Osteochondroma of the upper cervical spine. A case report.

STUDY DESIGN

A report of a patient with osteochondroma of the upper cervical spine causing radiculopathy.

OBJECTIVES

The surgical treatment of this patient involved the complete removal of tumor and compression of neural structures.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Osteochondromas affect mostly the long bones. Involvement of spine by solitary osteochondromas is rare condition. The present report represents a case of spinal osteochondroma causing neurologic symptoms.

METHODS

Cervical osteochondromas, best evaluated with routine magnetic resonance imaging and noncontrast computed tomography scans, rarely contribute to cervical nerve root compression.

RESULTS

The patient's symptoms gradually resolved after gross total tumor removal.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptomatic spinal osteochondromas are rare occurrences in an individual surgeon's experience. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging are the imaging procedures of choice. In the majority of patients with myelopathy or radiculopathy, surgery results in complete relief of symptoms as demonstrated in this case.