| Osteoid Osteomas |
Osteoid Osteomas (OO's) are
Benign tumors that are usually found along the mid-aspect of long bones
in children and young adults. Common locations are the femur (thigh
bone), Tibia (leg bone) or humerus (arm bone). These tumors cause pain
which is not related to activity. They often cause night pain. The pain
frequently can be relieved with aspirin, or other anti-inflammatory
drugs. The X-rays reveal a small "nidus" cavity within the outer bone
surrounded by reactive bone formation. The tumor resides within this
cavity or "nidus." Intraoperative view of osteoid osteoma nidus
Preop X-ray and CT of OO in arm bone
Treatment of OO's is aimed at destruction of the nidus. In recent years, a minimally invasive technique of dealing with these tumors (called radiofrequency ablation) has been introduced. It consists of placing the tip of a needle into the tumor using X-ray guidance (such as a CT scan). Once the tip of the needle is inside the tumor, it is heated from the inside out. This heating kills the tumor cells. This technique can be extremely effective and has minimal side effects. In cases where the tumors are too close to important nerves or blood vessels, radiofrequency ablation may not be an option. In those cases, surgery may be required to scrape out the tumor cells directly.  Radiofrequency ablation procedure for osteoid osteoma in arm bone
Occasionally, in those patients who are not candidates for surgery, medications can be prescribed for pain control (such as high-dose aspirin or anti-inflammatories). Unfortunately, these tumors can last for several years before they resolve on their own. It is therefore not generally recommended to treat these tumors medically as the long term use of high dose anti-inflammatories can result in undesirable medical side effects.
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 12 November 2007 ) | |||
