• Denis Mulleman, René-Marc Flipo, Richard Assaker, Claude-Alain Maurage, Patrick Chastanet, Vincent Ducoulombier, Xavier Deprez, and Bernard Duquesnoy.
• Department of Rheumatology, Lille Teaching Hospital, Hôpital Roger Salengro, France. d.mulleman@chu-tours.fr
• Eur Spine J. 2004 May 1; 13 (3): 244248244-8.

BackgroundLocalized primary amyloidosis is a disease characterized by a single tumor and localized amyloid deposit (amyloidoma) with no evidence of generalized amyloidosis. The occurrence of an amyloidoma in the spine is rare and only three cases affecting the axis have been previously reported. We describe the case of a 79-year-old woman presenting with a mass involving the odontoid process, responsible for an acute tetraparesia. Diagnosis of local primary amyloidosis was made after surgical excision.ResultsDespite the critical presentation, outcome was excellent after total excision of the mass. This case can be classified as a primary localized amyloidoma. The patient did not exhibit any infection, tumor or inflammatory disease, and continued investigations failed to demonstrate other amyloid deposit after one-year follow-up.ConclusionsAmyloidoma must be discussed in presence of a tumor-like mass of the odontoid process and may be responsible, as in our case, for spinal cord compression.

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