title: Spinal osteochondromas in middle-aged to elderly patients.
abstract: METHODS
  Three case reports of solitary spinal osteochondromas in middle-aged and elderly patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the treatment of three rare cases of spinal osteochondromas in patients significantly older than the cases previously reported in the literature.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Osteochondromas arising in the vertebral column are considered rare. The mean age of clinical appearance is said to be in the second or third decade of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical history, physical examinations, plain radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, myelography, computed tomographic myelography, and histopathologic findings for each case were reviewed in conjunction with previous cases reported in the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total removal of the tumor was effective in causing the symptoms to disappear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spinal osteochondromas are rare and tend to appear in young adults. Three cases of spinal osteochondromas that were unusual in terms of age at clinical presentation and localization were reported, suggesting a continuous growth of the tumor beyond skeletal maturity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Functional Reconstruction, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mochida
authors.forename: Eiren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toh
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nomura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000209:etiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015831:Osteochondroma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome