[Osteoid osteoma. CT guided drilling and radiofrequency ablation].

BACKGROUND

The CT-guided therapy of osteoid osteoma instead of older methods such as open resection has the advantage of exact localization of the nidus intraoperatively and exact documentation of its ablation. Another advantage is the less invasive approach.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 52 patients with osteoid osteoma were treated in our institution between 1996 and 2005 either by radiofrequency ablation (n=11) or by percutaneous resection under CT guidance (n=41). Their age was between 7 and 48 years, mean age was 22.3 years, and follow-up was 31.3 months.

RESULTS

In all patients (n=52) the osteoid osteoma was successfully treated. In 50 patients the first treatment resulted in long-term success. In two patients the nidus was first missed; they were successfully treated with another operation using the same technique.

CONCLUSION

The CT-guided operation of osteoid osteoma made the therapy much easier because of the exact localization and the less invasive approach. This technique can be used analogously to tumor biopsy. The advantage is the exact documentation of the biopsy path and the possibility to take specimens.