Osteoid Osteoma and Osteoblastoma of the Cervical Spine: The Cause of Unusual Persistent Neck Pain

Background: The most important symptom in patients with osteoid osteoma and osteoblastomais a resistant localized neck pain and stiffness in the spine.Objective: To evaluate and analyze 6 cases of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of the cervicalspine that were surgically treated over a 7-year period and to emphasize the unusual persistentneck pain associated with osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of the cervical spine.Study Design: Retrospective study.Methods: Six patients, 3 male and 3 female, with a mean age of 21 years (range 16-31) diagnosedwith osteoid osteoma or osteoblastoma during 2003 to 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. Thepreoperative neurological and clinical symptoms, neck pain duration, preoperative deformity,location of lesion, radiological findings, surgical technique and clinical follow-up outcomes ofeach patient were evaluated.Results: The average follow-up duration was 40.5 months (range, 19 to 83 months). Threepatients had osteoid osteoma (2 female and one male), and 3 patients had osteoblastoma(one female and 2 male). Two male patients had recurrent osteoblastoma. The locations of thelesions were as follows: C7 (2 patients), C3 (one patient), C2 (one patient), C3-C4 (one patient)and C5-C6 (one patient). The most common symptom was local neck pain in the region of thetumor. Among all patients, only one patient, who had osteoblastoma, had neurological deficits(right C5-C6 root symptoms). The other patients had no neurological deficits. All patients weretreated with surgical resection using microsurgery. Two patients underwent only tumor resection,one patient underwent tumor resection and fusion, and the other 3 patients underwent tumorresection, fusion and spinal instrumentation. No perioperative complications developed in any ofour patients. There was no tumor recurrence during the follow-up period.Limitations: A retrospective study with 6 analyses of cases.Conclusion: Surgical treatment of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of the spine has beenstandardized. The most common symptom of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of the cervicalspine is local persistent neck pain in the region of the tumor. This symptom can be significant inthe diagnosis of these tumors.Key words: neck pain, osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, bone tumors, cervical spine