Lipogenic Tumors

Apart from the very common vertebral hemangioma, lipogenic tumors of the osseous spine are very rare and usually benign. Nevertheless, diagnosing these lesions correctly is necessary to exclude an infrequent malignancy (e.g., liposarcoma) or to avoid overdiagnosis. This chapter reviews the most common lipogenic benign tumors of the osseous spine (lipoma, hibernoma, osteolipoma), malignant lesions (liposarcoma), and pseudotumoral fat-containing lesions (fatty island, fatty corner, and fatty reconversion). The purpose is to provide an up-to-date overview of the sometimes scarce literature about some of these tumors. Emphasis is put on the prevalent imaging findings and the differential diagnosis.