Osteoid osteoma: an unusual cause of articular pain

Twenty-five patients who had histologically proved osteoid osteoma and whose major symptom was joint pain were studied. Retrospective study of clinical data and radiographs revealed that almost all of the lesions were located near the painful joint and that there had been significant delay in determination of the correct diagnosis. The delay was related to the nonspecificity of symptoms, the latency between the onset of symptoms and the appearance of the lesion on radiologic study, and the evaluation sequence used in some patients. The relative effectiveness of various diagnostic modalities is discussed. Radionuclide bone scanning, plain radiography, and guided tomography are the most useful diagnostic studies.