Lipoma with dumb-bell extradural extension through the intervertebral foramen into the spinal canal. Case report.

The authors present the case of a 60-year-old woman with a neck lipoma that developed dumb-bell extradural extension, causing radiculopathy. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a lipoma originating in the neck with dumb-bell extradural extension through the intervertebral foramen and into the spinal canal. The lipoma was first excised from the foramen via a posterior approach to allow decompression of the nerve roots. The remaining lipomatous tissue was then resected via an anterior approach to avoid the region around the vertebral artery.