Osteoid osteoma of the spine is an important cause of back pain : two cases and review

Two cases are reported and discussed of osteoid osteoma in the spines of two children. Presenting as nocturnal low back pain irrelevant to any position or activity. Plain radiographs of the lumbo-sacral spine, Technetium-99 bone scan and computerized tomography (CT) were used to locate and verify the lesions. Both were then excised by open surgery and confirmed by a post-operative CT scan. A review of all the known and updated modalities of diag¬nosis and treatment is presented and it is emphasized that this uncommon lesion should be considered in the differ-ential diagnosis of back pain in children.