title: Cervical myelopathy due to a solitary osteochondroma: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteochondroma is the most common benign bone tumor. However, the incidence of osteochondroma in the spine is reported to be very rare.
  
  
  METHODS
  This report presents the case of a 57-year-old man who suffered from osteochondroma of the cervical spine. He had bilateral lower extremity pain for 3 years, developing pain of right upper extremity and gait disturbance. Plain radiographic images and computed tomography scans showed bony lesion in right C6/7 foramen and C6 lamina. Magnetic resonance images of whole spine showed severe compression of spinal cord at the C6/7 and spinal canal stenosis at the L3/4 level. First, we performed a surgery of the cervical spine, and removed the tumor covered with the cartilaginous cap. The pathological diagnosis of the tumor was osteochodroma. After the surgery, the symptoms on his right upper extremity improved smoothly. Because the bilateral lower extremity pain remained, a L3/4 partial laminectomy was performed 1 month later, and the symptom improved. At 1 year after his primary operation, we could not find a recurrence of the tumor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is very important to perform a complete en bloc resection of the tumor (especially cartilaginous cap) to prevent the recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki Memorial Hospital, 59-1 Sakaizeki-nishida, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8076 Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asari
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki Memorial Hospital, 59-1 Sakaizeki-nishida, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8076 Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Echigoya
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki Memorial Hospital, 59-1 Sakaizeki-nishida, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8076 Japan.
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki Memorial Hospital, 59-1 Sakaizeki-nishida, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8076 Japan.
authors.forename: Gentaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki Memorial Hospital, 59-1 Sakaizeki-nishida, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8076 Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueyama
keywords: Cervical myelopathy; Exostoses; Osteochondroma; Surgical treatment