Osteochondromas of the spine

•We reviewed the imaging appearance of osteochondromas involving the spine.•Osteochondromas are common benign bone lesions which rarely involve the spine.•They may be solitary or as part of hereditary multiple exostoses.•Cord compression, radiculopathy or deformity/pain may rarely occur.•Another serious complication is malignant transformation.

Osteochondromas are common developmental benign bone lesions, which rarely involve the spine. In a narrow space, such as the spinal canal, they may potentially lead to serious complications. Moreover, because this condition is fairly rare in the spine, it may be confused with other entities. The objective of this review is to describe the typical imaging findings of this rare, but occasionally significant condition of the spine.