Post-traumatic osteoid osteoma: case report and review of the literature

Osteoid osteoma is a painful benign bone neoplasm that is rarely described after trauma but should be suspected. A case of osteoid osteoma 19 years after a tibial fracture is presented. The patient had pain in the tibia for 6 years before the osteoid osteoma was confirmed. He had been operated on twice for suspected osteomyelitis although the clinical symptoms suggested an osteoid osteoma. The radiographic appearance as well as a bone scan confirmed the diagnosis. Removal of the nidus resulted in immediate pain relief. A precise preoperative diagnosis of the lesion based on clinical findings, standard radiographs, high-resolution CT,and bone scan is mandatory. It is important to recognize this uncommon entity to avoid morbidity associated with a prolonged delay in diagnosis.