title: Cervical osteochondroma with postoperative recurrence: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteochondromas of the cervical spine are rare. We report an 8-year-old girl presenting with neck pain and a known familial predisposition for osteochondromas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Imaging revealed a presumed osteochondroma of the cervical spine located at C3. A cervical hemilaminectomy of the lesion was performed. Histopathology confirmed the lesion as an osteochondroma. Six months later, the child was found to have a recurrence of the previously resected lesion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The child was reoperated and the lesion removed along with the entire remaining lamina of C3. At 6-year follow-up, there has been no recurrence of the child's cervical lesion. We believe this to be the third reported case of recurrence of a cervical osteochondroma. Surgeons dealing with such lesions should be mindful of this complication.
authors.affiliation: Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA. rstubbs@uab.edu
authors.forename: R Shane
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tubbs
authors.forename: Grady E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Maddox
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Grabb
authors.forename: W Jerry
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Oakes
authors.forename: Aaron A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cohen-Gadol
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D015831:Osteochondroma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome