Osteochondroma is the most common type of benign bone tumor, but it is unusual in the spine and they rarely present with compression of the spinal cord. We treated a male patient with a solitary osteochondroma of the thoracic spine that caused spinal cord compression. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance images demonstrated a mass arising from the T5 vertebrae, projecting into the spinal canal compressing the spinal cord. Diagnosis was confirmed by surgery and histological study of the resected specimen.