Pigmented villonodular synovitis (giant cell tumor of the synovium) occurring in the vertebral column. Report of a case.

A case of pigmented villonodular synovitis (giant cell tumor of the synovium) involving the vertebral column is presented. The tumor grew outside the dura and extended to the paravertebral connective tissue, causing sensory and motor disturbance indicative of spinal cord compression. This anatomic location is very rare for lesions of this type, and to our knowledge, this case is only the fifth reported in the English-language literature.