DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPY OF THE OSTEOID-OST EOMA OF THE LAMINA - REVIEWOF THE LITERATURE AND OWN RESULTS

Osteoid-osteoma is a benign tumor which is rarely situated in the spin e. Five patients with osteoid-osteoma of the lamina treated surgically at the Departement of Orthopaedic Surgery of the University of Mainz between november 1990 and january 1992 are reviewed. The combination o f pain, painfull reactive scoliotic position of the spine or torticoll is, hot spot in scintigraphy and nidus in computer tomography is the t ypical feature of the tumor. The average delay between the onset of sy mptoms and definitive diagnosis was 10 months. In all cases the tumor was completely removed. In one case with localization in the axis in a 15 year old boy a laminoplastic was performed. The average follow-up was 16 months. Surgical treatment afforded immediate relief of pain an d an early return to full spinal mobility. In case of persisting backa che especially in children or young adults osteoid-osteoma of the spin e must be suspected. The scintigraphy represents the most sensitive me thod of diagnosis in the early stage.