• Qi Ding, Zhen Liu, Xu Sun, Ming-liang Ji, Bin Wang, and Yong Qiu.
• Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, Zhongshan Road No.321, Nanjing, 210008, China.
• Eur Spine J. 2012 Jun 1;21 Suppl 4:S467-70.

IntroductionIsolated intraspinal extradural tuberculous granuloma (IETG) without radiological evidence of vertebral involvement is uncommon, especially rare in cervical spine.Materials And MethodsWe report a case of cervical IETG without bone involvement in a patient with neurological deficit. The patient suffered from progressive neurological dysfunction. MRI of cervical spine revealed an intraspinal extradural mass, and the spinal cord was edematous because of the compression. Thus C2-C4 laminectomy was performed and extradural mass was excised.ResultsThe excised extradural mass was confirmed to be tuberculous granuloma through pathologic examination. Antituberculous drugs were administrated with a regular follow-up. Excellent clinical outcomes were achieved.ConclusionsThe isolated IETG, although a rare entity, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of the intraspinal mass, especially in patients with spinal cord compression and a history of tuberculosis. If there is a progressing neurological deficit, a combination of surgical and anti-tuberculous treatment should be the optimal choice.

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