Giant solitary thoracic osteochondroma arising from the facet joint: A case report and review of the literature

The authors report a relatively rare case of a giant thoracic solitary osteochondroma arising from the facet joint of T9 vertebra and involving the corresponding transverse process and rib. A 39-year-old woman presented with pain in the back. Neuroradiological evaluation of the spine showed a giant mass lesion involving the facet joint of T9 vertebra and concomitant corresponding transverse process and rib on the left side. At surgery, a firm and cartilaginous tumour originating from the facet joint was radically excised and surgical curettage of the lesion was performed. Histological examination revealed that the lesion was osteochondroma. It is concluded that accurate and prompt diagnosis requires high index of suspicion followed by surgical treatment to prevent severe morbidity in cases of primary spinal column tumours.