Osteochondroma of the cervical spine--a surprising finding in a liver transplanted patient with polyneuropathy and polyradiculitis: case report

BACKGROUND: Osteochondroma of the spine is a rare condition. We report a case of a patient with a cervical osteochondroma presenting with a polyneuropathy and polyradiculitis simultaneously. CASE DESCRIPTION: In a liver-transplant patient with progressive neurological deficits a polyneuropathy and a polyradiculitis were diagnosed. Eventually the patient became quadraparetic and an osteochondroma compressing the cervical spinal cord was found. The patient's neurological symptoms markedly improved after gross total tumor resection and antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Review of the literature reveals this case to be an unusual presentation of a cervical osteochondroma, its diagnosis being delayed because of concomitant neurological diseases.