OBJECTIVE: osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma are unusual benign primary bone tumors. Due to the rarity of these neoplasms and the scarce national literature on this subject, particularly on spine, a retrospective study was performed based on 27 years of experience treating these patients, obtaining a large series of cases to describe treatment results. METHODS: medical charts and laboratory tests from 30 patients treated between 1975 and 2002 were assessed, with a medium follow-up of 47 months. RESULTS: Regarding osteoid osteoma (16 patients), deformity and the presence of pain were the main complaints to early diagnosis. Prognosis was satisfactory after tumor resection. Concerning osteoblastoma (14 patients), the clinical presentation was more aggressive, with presence of neurological dysfunction in four individuals and recurrence of lesion after tumor resection in other four patients. CONCLUSION: despite choosing radiotherapy and embolization for the inoperable cases, surgical resection was the definitive treatment to such tumors.
Osteoblastoma; Spinal neoplasms
