title: Cervical degenerative cyst located within the body of C2: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: METHODS
  A case report and review of the literature are presented.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical course and treatment of a patient with an unusual intraosseous degenerative cyst within the body of the axis, as well as review the literature regarding these lesions.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Intraosseous degenerative cysts of the cervical spine are extremely rare. To our knowledge, only 4 prior case studies have described these lesions, 2 of which were seen in the body of C2.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case report of a 58-year-old patient with neck pain and an intraosseous cyst within the axis is presented with a review of the pertinent literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  History, examination, radiographic evaluation, and histology revealed this lesion to be an intraosseous degenerative cyst within the body of C2. The patient was treated with anterior surgical biopsy/curettage and posterior stabilization with structural graft enhancement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although rare, intraosseous cervical degenerative cysts should be present in any differential diagnosis of cystic lesions seen in the cervical spine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. quigleyk@slu.edu
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Quigley
authors.forename: Cherise M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Cortese
authors.forename: Howard M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Place
mesh_terms: D001845:Bone Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography