title: Osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of the cervical spine: the cause of unusual persistent neck pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most important symptom in patients with osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma is a resistant localized neck pain and stiffness in the spine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and analyze 6 cases of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of the cervical spine that were surgically treated over a 7-year period and to emphasize the unusual persistent neck pain associated with osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of the cervical spine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six patients, 3 male and 3 female, with a mean age of 21 years (range 16-31) diagnosed with osteoid osteoma or osteoblastoma during 2003 to 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. The preoperative neurological and clinical symptoms, neck pain duration, preoperative deformity, location of lesion, radiological findings, surgical technique and clinical follow-up outcomes of each patient were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average follow-up duration was 40.5 months (range, 19 to 83 months). Three patients had osteoid osteoma (2 female and one male), and 3 patients had osteoblastoma (one female and 2 male). Two male patients had recurrent osteoblastoma. The locations of the lesions were as follows: C7 (2 patients), C3 (one patient), C2 (one patient), C3-C4 (one patient) and C5-C6 (one patient). The most common symptom was local neck pain in the region of the tumor. Among all patients, only one patient, who had osteoblastoma, had neurological deficits (right C5-C6 root symptoms). The other patients had no neurological deficits. All patients were treated with surgical resection using microsurgery. Two patients underwent only tumor resection, one patient underwent tumor resection and fusion, and the other 3 patients underwent tumor resection, fusion and spinal instrumentation. No perioperative complications developed in any of our patients. There was no tumor recurrence during the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A retrospective study with 6 analyses of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical treatment of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of the spine has been standardized. The most common symptom of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of the cervical spine is local persistent neck pain in the region of the tumor. This symptom can be significant in the diagnosis of these tumors.
authors.affiliation: Pendik State Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. tkaner2002@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tuncay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaner
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasani
authors.forename: Tunc
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oktenoglu
authors.forename: Sabri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Ali Fahir
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ozer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018215:Osteoblastoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D010017:Osteoma, Osteoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult