Kyphoplasty of a C2 Body Intraosseous Schwannoma: A Case Report

We report a case of a 75-year-old male with an incidental and indeterminate lytic lesion of the C2 vertebral body. After rapid enlargement over 16 months, persistent neck pain, and concern for underlying occult malignancy, the patient underwent lesion biopsy and simultaneous balloon kyphoplasty. Histopathological analysis revealed the surprising diagnosis of intraosseous schwannoma. Spinal Intraosseous Schwannomas (SIS) are rare benign tumors, often mimicking more sinister processes on diagnostic imaging. Fortunately, their histologic appearance is identical to schwannomas found more commonly in the soft tissues, providing diagnostic certainty to otherwise ambiguous radiologic findings. Though rare, intraosseous schwannomas remain an important benign diagnostic consideration for incidental solitary lytic bone lesions. To our knowledge, this is the second published case of kyphoplasty involving an SIS.