OSTEOCHONDROMA OF THE UPPER CERVICAL-SPINE - A CASE-REPORT

Study Design. A report of a patient with osteochondroma of the upper c ervical spine causing radiculopathy. Objectives. The surgical treatmen t of this patient involved the complete removal of tumor and decompres sion of neural structures. Summary of Background Data. Osteochondromas affect mostly the long bones. Involvement of spine by solitary osteoc hondromas is a rare condition. The present report represents a case of spinal osteochondroma causing neurologic symptoms.Methods. Cervical o steochondromas, best evaluated with routine magnetic resonance imaging and noncontrast computed tomography scans, rarely contribute to cervi cal nerve root compression. Results. The patient's symptoms gradually resolved after gross total tumor removal. Conclusions. Symptomatic spi nal osteochondromas are rare occurrences in an individual surgeon's ex perience. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging are the im aging procedures of choice. In the majority of patients with myelopath y or radiculopathy, surgery results in complete relief of symptoms as demonstrated in this case.