Percutaneous therapy of osteoid osteoma: Technical success and clinical results

Evaluation of technical success and follow-up of patients with osteoid osteoma. Material and methods: 9 patients (3 w, 6 m) with a mean age of 22.3 years suffering from an osteoid osteoma localized in the femur were treated with a combination therapy based on drill trepanation of the nidus and subsequent installation of 1 - 2 ml ethanol (96 %). The treatment was done under CT-guidance in general anaesthesia. Results: During the follow-up period of 20.6 months (10 to 39 months) one relapse occurred within 3 months. This was treated with the same percutaneous method. Conclusions: Percutaneous removal of intracortical osteoid osteomas under CT-guidance had success in this study, was technical easy, and a had low relapse rate. In addition the duration of hospitalisation is shorten. Meanwhile other studies have used additive ablation with radiofrequency. A second study has been started in our departement using a thermoablative procedure. In a comparison between surgical and radiological methods, the rates of relapse are similar (9 % vs. 23 % surgically). The CT-guided removal of intracortical osteoid osteomas should be the procedure of first choice.