Lumbar solitary osteochondroma presenting with cauda equina syndrome: a case report

Although spinal osteochondromas can cause various clinical signs, the spinal cord or nerve root compression by solitary lumbar osteochondromas are rare clinical entities. We present a 62-year-old female patient with lower-back pain, progressive left leg paresis, numbness on the both lower extremities and urinary incontinence. The patient's clinical picture made us suspect the possibility of cauda equina syndrome. Radiological examination revealed a lesion originating from the left inferior articular facet of the second lumbar vertebrae. Urgent surgical decompression was performed and the lesion was removed totally. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of benign osteochondroma.