[Solitary spinal osteochondroma. Apropos of 4 cases]

The spinal osteochondroma has been studied in 4 personal cases. This benign tumor unfrequently develops on the spine and even less insolitary. In the 4 cases reported, the sites of the tumor were thoracic (2 cases) cervical (1 case), cervicothoracic (2 cases) which are most frequently mentioned in publications. The tumors were located either on the "posterior arc" either on the "antero-lateral" region of the vertebral body on the level of the "costo-transversary" angle. The clinical manifestations were a growth of a tumefaction, spinal pain and sometimes radicular or medullary neurological signs. The X-Ray image is evident. The best diagnostic procedure is C.T. Scan which determines the exact position and size of the tumor. Surgery is the best treatment. The excision must be large and the pedicule totally removed in order to avoid recurrence. This occurred in one of the cases reported. The osteochondroma becomes rarely malignant. If the tumor involves several spinal segments, post-operative X-Ray investigations must be done for a long period in order to watch out for recurrence.