Osteoid osteoma after a femoral shaft fracture

An osteoid osteoma was discovered at the site of fusion of a mid-third femoral shaft fracture in an 18-year-old girl. This unusual localization was revealed by persistent pain after ablation of the material after fracture healing. Postoperatively, a discharge from the skin wound that persisted for a few days, raised the differential diagnosis between low-grade bone infection and an osteoid osteoma suggested by the patient's age and the clinical presentation. Computed tomography and leukocyte-labeled bone scintigraphy provided the diagnosis of osteoid osteoma that was confirmed at pathology examination after resection. Isotopic mapping of this very small, intraosseous lesion that exhibited strong isotope uptake was particularly contributive.