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. 2015 Apr;9(2):290-4.
doi: 10.4184/asj.2015.9.2.290. Epub 2015 Apr 15.

Cervical paravertebral osteolipoma: case report and literature review

Pau Guirro  1 , Guillem Saló  1 , Antoni Molina  1 , Andreu Lladó  1 , Lluís Puig-Verdié  1 , Manuel Ramírez-Valencia  1
Affiliations

Cervical paravertebral osteolipoma: case report and literature review

Pau Guirro et al. Asian Spine J. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Lipomas are the most frequent soft tissue tumors. Osteolipomas are a rare variant that can be difficult to diagnose. We report the case of a 66-year-old man consulting with a tumor of 2 years development in the right paravertebral cervical region. Neurologically, the patient had no sign of myelopathy or neurological focality. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass with a lipid component and calcifications inside within the right paravertebral musculature with a possible origin in the right C3 posterior root. A computed tomography scan and guided biopsy were performed, revealing hematic material and small bone spicules with no apparent neoplastic element. The tumor was totally removed, including the right C3 posterior branch, and was confirmed to be an osteolipoma on biopsy. The patient remains asymptomatic at 6-month follow-up. The osteolipoma is a benign tumor of soft tissue, characterized by lipoma areas with mature bone tissue differentiation, and even with hematopoietic marrow.

Keywords: Atypical lipoma; Cervical paravertebral; Ossifying lipoma; Soft tissue tumor.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. (A, B) Plain radiographs indicating the calcified paravertebral mass.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. (A, B) Magnetic resonance imaging showing the lipid component and calcifications of the tumor within the right paravertebral musculature and showing the relationship with the right C3 posterior root (circle).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. (A, B) Computed tomography showing the mass with fat tissue and calcifying tissue independent of the vertebrae.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Intraoperative picture showing the position of the paravertebral mass.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. Intraoperative picture showing the relationship between the C3 posterior root and the paravertebral mass.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6. Picture showing mature adipose tissue proliferation with presence of trabecular bone and hematopoietic bone marrow (H&E, ×100).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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