title: Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia of the cervical spine: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple lytic lesions of the spine usually represent metastatic or infectious disease processes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe an extremely rare presentation of an uncommon disease process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case report/university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the management of a patient who presented with a pathological fracture of C3 and multiple lytic lesions of the cervical spine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After reconstructive surgery, the final pathological diagnosis was fibrous dysplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fibrous dysplasia is rarely seen in the cervical spine and may mimic other pathological processes. The surgical and medical management of spinal fibrous dysplasia is described.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53717, USA.
authors: Joshua E
authors: JE
authors: Medow
authors: Basheal M
authors: BM
authors: Agrawal
authors: Daniel K
authors: DK
authors: Resnick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005359:Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed