Paediatria Croatica, Vol. 60 No. 3, 2016.
Review article
https://doi.org/10.13112/PC.2016.15
Diffi culties in diagnosis and treatment of elbow osteoid osteoma in a four-year-old girl: case report and review of the literature
Marko Labaš
; Opća bolnica Varaždin, Odjel za ortopediju i traumatologiju
Danijel Pilipac
Krešimir Majdandžić
Tomislav Džapić
Ivan Bojanić
Abstract
Osteoid osteoma localized at intra-articular or juxta-articular sites typically does not present with the usual night pain but rather
constant pain. Besides this, eventually joint eff usion develops as a result of synovitis, followed by joint contracture and atrophy of
nearby muscles. Additional diffi culty in the diagnosis is the fact that osteoid osteoma of these locations is diffi cult to visualize on
magnetic resonance imaging, which is the usual imaging method of choice for painful joint conditions. We present a case of a fouryear-
old girl who presented with elbow pain without any prior injury and eventually developed joint eff usion and contracture of the
elbow. Her treatment consisted of a course of physical therapy, followed by antibiotic therapy, both of which proved ineff ective,
therefore biopsy was indicated and performed. Upon reevaluation of the entire work-up, especially radiographic fi ndings, suspicion
arose that the cause was osteoid osteoma. After the operation, the patient did not complain of any pain anymore and eventually
regained full elbow mobility. With this case report and literature review, we wish to warn readers of the diffi culties in reaching an
accurate diagnosis in cases of intra- and/or juxta-articular localizations of osteoid osteoma of the elbow, which can be successfully
treated arthroscopically in children.
Keywords
osteoid osteoma; elbow; magnetic resonance imaging; computed tomography; arthroscopy
Hrčak ID:
173780
URI
Publication date:
24.9.2016.
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