Intraosseous schwannoma originating from the posterior column of the thoracic spine

Abstract

Only eight cases of intraosseous schwannoma of the mobile spine have been reported in the English literature. We report herein a rare case of intraosseous schwannoma mimicking benign osteoblastoma originating from the posterior column of the thoracic spine. A 60-year-old man presented with a history of back pain for several months. The patient subsequently developed gait disturbance and numbness on bilateral lower limbs. Preoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a neoplastic lesion occupying the posterior column of the ninth thoracic vertebra. The most likely preoperative diagnosis was osteoblastoma. The patient underwent tumor excision and posterior fusion with instrumentation. No nerve involvement of the tumor was identified intraoperatively. Histological diagnosis was schwannoma. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first report of intraosseous schwannoma originating from the posterior column of the mobile spine.