CT Guided Microwave Ablation of Osteoid Osteoma – Efficacy in Alleviation of Symptoms

BACKGROUND Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumour which eventually undergoes spontaneous resolution but causes distress due to severe inflammatory pain and sleep loss. Major goal of ablative procedure is alleviation of symptoms. Long term follow up studies on pain remission and complications are less commonly available for microwave ablation. We wanted to assess alleviation of symptoms and long term complications in CT guided microwave ablation of osteoid osteoma. METHODS CT (Computed tomography) guided microwave ablation was performed on 10 patients referred with clinicoradiological diagnosis of osteoid osteoma and their preoperative and 6 month postoperative numerical pain scale, frequency of pain, disability and analgesic uses were compared. Subjects were between 13 and 30 years of age. RESULTS Pain scale dropped to 0 in 9 out of 10 patients. The single remaining patient had partial remission at 6 month follow up. The only complication encountered was wound site infection. All patients were free of analgesic use, disability due to pain, and sleep loss, on follow up. CONCLUSIONS Microwave ablation as an ablative procedure offers many potential benefits and appears to have good treatment response rate with minimal complications. KEY WORDS Osteoid Osteoma, Microwave Ablation, Bone, Interventional Radiology