Benign osteoblastoma: range of manifestations.

A study of twenty-five new cases of osteoblastoma and a review of 172 previously reported cases demonstrated the wide spectrum of manifestations of the lesion. The ratio of males to females was 2:1, with 80 per cent of the patients being under thirty years of age. The duration of complaints prior to diagnosis averaged seventeen months. The majority of the lesions were found in the spine or major long bones of the lower extremity. When complete excision of the tumor was done a cure always was the result, but incomplete curettage also affected a cure in some cases. Three cases presented in detail emphasize the wide variation in biological behavior which this lesion may exhibit. Histological characteristics of aneurysmal bone cyst may frequently appear in the tumor tissue. Radiotherapy does not alter the course of the disease and appears to be contraindicated.