Spinal hamartoma in an elderly man.

Spinal hamartoma is a very rare, benign spinal lesion, usually occurring in children with either spinal dysraphism or neurofibromatosis type 1. We report a case of thoracic spinal hamartoma in a 75-year-old male without associated lesions. This patient represents the oldest of 19 patients whose cases we found reported in detail and one of only nine reported cases without associated lesions. On magnetic resonance imaging, the current patient showed a well-defined exophytic appearance arising from the dorsal midline surface of the spinal cord. We discuss the radiological and pathological features of spinal hamartoma and review the literature, focusing on magnetic resonance imaging features for diagnosing spinal hamartoma.