Amyloidoma of the cervical spine: a case report

This is the first published report of an amyloidoma localized to the cervical spine. Primary amyloidosis of bone is rare. Only 5 cases involving the spine have been described. We present a 74-year-old man with cervical and occipital radicular pain as the manifestations of an amyloidoma involving the 2nd cervical vertebra. The signs and symptoms of this disease, when localized to the vertebrae, are nonspecific and result from bony destruction and compression of neural structures. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and, ultimately, adequate tissue biopsy for histopathological studies. Curative resection is possible for well-localized lesions. Additionally, external immobilization with a halo vest and bony grafting for fusion may be indicated when the cervical spine is involved.