Vertebral body pneumatocyst in the cervical spine and review of the literature.

ABSTRACT

A pneumatocyst in the cervical spine is extremely rare and to our knowledge only a few reports have been published in the English literature. Although the etiology and natural course of vertebral body pneumatocyst is unclear, nitrogen gas accumulation is claimed. A 65-year-old-man was admitted to the emergency department with neck pain and numbness and incapacity in his both hands and fingers. The radiological images revealed a vertebral located pneumatocyst in the C4 cervical vertebra. In this report, we present a case of cervical pneumatocyst located in the C4 vertebral body. The clinical and radiological features and natural course of the pneumatocyst were evaluated.