Surgical treatment of osteoblastoma : a report of 20 cases

Osteoblastoma is a locally aggressive osteoblastic lesion of bone with rare malignant transformation. We retrospectively evaluated 20 patients who were diagnosed and surgically treated for osteoblastoma in our institution. Their mean age was 22.5 years (range: 10 to 34). The most frequent location was in the posterior elements of the spine, followed by the long bones of the extremities and the talus. Intralesional curettage was the most common modality of treatment; it was used in 11 patients, with a 13% recurrence rate. This series demonstrates that osteoblastoma may be locally aggressive and may recur after removal. Although it is usually treated successfully with curettage, wide excision should be considered along with careful follow-up over the long term owing to the possibility of recurrence or malignant transformation.