Solitary Osteochondroma Presenting as a Dumbbell Tumor Compressing the Cervical Spinal Cord

We report a case of a solitary osteochondroma as a dumbbell tumor compressing the spinal cord and its surgical strategy. The patient is a 16-year-old female with longstanding posterior neck pain and left arm abduction weakness. She was examined by plain X-ray, three-dimensional-computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and vertebral angiography. The analyses indicated a calcified extradural mass compressing the cord in the C3–4 portion extending into the neural and vertebral foramen with eroded vertebral body. The tumor was successfully excised using a modified combined anterior and posterior approach. Histopathologic study of the resected material confirmed the diagnosis. The postoperative assessment was followed by clinical and radiologically therapy for 5 years after surgery. Osteochondroma arises from enchondral bone but it rarely involves the spine, especially not as s dumbbell type. In this patient, the tumor may have arisen from the neural arch and extended into the extradural and extraforaminal space over a long period. We successfully removed the dumbbell tumor with a combined anterior oblique and posterior approach. However, further observation is essential because of the possibility of recurrence and sarcomatous change.

Two Cases of Epidural Cavernous Hemangioma in the Thoraic Spine

The reports of epidural vascular tumors are rare however dumbbell-shaped epidural cavernous hemangioma is exceedingly rare. The reported incidence of epidural hemangiom is 4%of all spinal epidural tumors and 12% of all intraspinal hemangioma. In the majority of cases, hemangiomas of spinal epidural space represent the secondary extension of a vertebral hemangioma but the occurance of pure epidural cavernous hemangioma is relatively rare. In this report, authors present two cases of epidural cavernous hemangioma including one dembbell-shaped in the thoracic spine with review of other reports.