Pitfalls in the diagnosis of common benign bone tumours in children

Benign bone tumours in children are frequent lesions, often with a typical and very identifiable radiological presentation. However, their natural evolution and complications may be the source of variations and errors in interpretation. It is therefore important to understand the possible sources of change in the radiological aspect and to be familiar with common pseudotumoral lesions. The main aim of this review is to review typical aspects of the most common benign bone tumours in children, as well as less frequent variants of these tumours. Teaching points • Benign bone tumours in children may have atypical radiological presentations. • Some normal variants are commonly misinterpreted as tumours. • X-ray is the main imaging tool for focal bone lesions. • Depending on the X-ray, complementary imaging examinations and biopsy may be necessary.