[Local pain of the shoulder - osteoid osteoma]

An atypical course of shoulderpain in a young 21 year old patient could be demonstrated. He first felt pain while putting furniture together and months later still felt pain locally in the region of the coracoid. The cause was later identified in CT as being an osteoid osteoma, a benign bone tumour with high vascularity in the core (nidus) and a surrounding region of sclerosis. These tumours usually develop before the age of thirty and the pain responds exquisitely to non-steroidal antirheumatic medication. The tumour was finally removed (CT-guided drilling excision) whereupon the symptoms disappeared.