Enlargement of an osseous loose body in the cervical spine with cord compression

Background contextLoose bodies in the spinal canal are extremely rare, with only two cases reported previously in the literature.PurposeTo report a rare case of an osseous loose body in the cervical spine with radiographic evidence of dramatic enlargement of the loose body in the spinal canal over the course of 9 years.Study design/settingCase report.Patient sampleA 50-year-old man presented with progressive numbness and weakness of the upper and lower extremities and swaying gait in 2007. He had a history of temporary incomplete tetraplegia after a fall in 1998. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed enlargement of the posterior mass-occupying lesion compressing the cord at C5–C6 over the course of 9 years.Outcome measuresNeurological examination with motor and sensory status.ResultsPosterior decompressive laminectomy was performed. An isolated, smooth-surfaced, bony, hard mass was found between the ligamentum flavum and facet joint and removed. Histological examination demonstrated trabecular bone and peripheral cartilage mixed with fibrous and fibrocartilaginous tissue. Clinical evaluation of the patient 6 months postoperatively showed total resolution of neurological symptoms.ConclusionWe report herein an extremely rare case of an osseous loose body in the spinal canal with cord compression. This report represents the first documented case of growth of a loose body in the spinal canal.     

Asymptomatic occult cervical spine fracture: case report and review of the literature

Lack of case documentation has led to controversy over the existence of asymptomatic occult cervical spine injury. We report a case of an elderly patient involved in a motor vehicle accident who sustained an asymptomatic occult cervical spine injury, and review the literature with regard to this controversial injury.     

Foraminal epidural extra osseous cavernous hemangioma of the cervical spine: a case report

STUDY DESIGN: A case report of purely epidural foraminal cervical cavernous angioma assessed by magnetic resonance imaging and diagnosed at pathologic study. OBJECTIVE: To illustrate a rare cause of cervical foraminal mass mimicking a schwannoma. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Several cases of epidural cavernous angioma have been reported. A purely epidural cavernous angioma in a cervical foramen has never been reported in the literature. METHOD: A 36-year-old man sought treatment for acute weakness in his right upper limb with radicular distribution. On magnetic resonance images, the lesion appeared as a foraminal mass with no bone invasion or hematic components. It enhanced after intravenous administration of Gadolinium. Pathologic study after surgery showed a typical cavernous angioma. RESULTS: The patient improved slightly after surgery. CONCLUSION: Clinical and radiologic presentation could be confusing in a purely foraminal epidural cervical cavernous hemangioma. Cavernous hemangioma must be known as a differential diagnosis of a foraminal schwannoma. Diagnosis of cavernous angioma is made easily on pathologic examination.     

Spondyloptosis of the cervical spine in neurofibromatosis. A case report

STUDY DESIGN: Case report and literature review. OBJECTIVES: To review the English literature pertaining to spondyloptosis of the cervical spine in patients with Von Recklinghausen's disease and to present as an illustrative example the case of a 41-year-old woman with a spondyloptotic kyphotic curve of the spine at C5-C7 of more than 110 degrees. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Involvement of the cervical spine in neurofibromatosis has only rarely been documented, although the spine is the part of the skeleton mostly affected in this hereditary disease. Only a few cases with a cervical kyphotic curve exceeding 90 degrees or with cervical spondyloptosis have been reported until now. METHODS: A literature and chart review was conducted. The patient was first treated conservatively, but over time, the spontaneous neck pain increased to an intolerable level and progressive neurologic deficits developed in the four limbs. For these reasons, surgical intervention was undertaken, according to suggestions from the literature. RESULTS: Postoperative imaging showed improved realignment of the cervical spine with a residual kyphos of 30 degrees. At later follow-up stable bony fusion was obtained in the lower cervical spine. CONCLUSIONS: A successful one-stage anterior and posterior correction and fusion-stabilization procedure was performed with extension from the occiput to T1.