Osteoblastoma of Cuboid with a Tuberculosis Foot - A Diagnostic Conundrum: A Rare Case Report

Osteoblastoma is a rare benign bone-forming tumor but causes considerable morbidity if left untreated. Among them, osteoblastoma of cuboid is very rarely seen and hence poses considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenges especially when it mimics features of tuberculosis of foot.

This case report describes a rare case of cuboid osteoblastoma of the right foot in a 24-year-old female who was initially treated as TB foot elsewhere and presented to our outpatient department with non-resolving pain affecting her daily activities. She was found to have osteoblastoma of cuboid bone along with medial arch collapse and instability of mid foot. She underwent en bloc excision of the cuboid bone with lateral and medial column stabilization procedures. She made an uneventful recovery and reported no recurrence after a follow-up of 2 years.

Cuboid osteoblastoma can present atypically with mid foot collapse and arthritis leading to an erroneous diagnosis of TB due to the concomitant inflammation. Hence, any atypical lesion of the foot should be subjected to biopsy and a confirmatory result before initiating any therapy.