Solitary exostosis of the thoracic spine. Early diagnosis and treatment.

Abstract

A case report. To highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of vertebral exostosis. Few cases of spinal cord compression caused by solitary thoracic exostoses have been reported. A solitary exostosis in the midline of the neural arch of the fifth thoracic vertebra, causing compression of the spinal cord documented on both magnetic resonance and computed tomographic examinations, is reported in a 51-year-old woman who had normal findings in a neurologic examination. The exostosis was successfully excised. Accurate preoperative diagnosis of vertebral exostoses is possible using magnetic resonance and computed tomography. Early excision avoids the development of a permanent neurologic deficit.