Osteoid Osteoma of Lumbar Vertebra Presenting as Low Back Ache and Scoliosis in a Young Child – A Case Report

INTRODUCTION: Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor. It characteristically presents with pain which increases in severity at night. Low back ache is a very common complaint which is relatively less common in the pediatric population. The patients are initially treated for a prolonged period of time by primary physicians with analgesics only after which they are referred to tertiary centers. These young patients can also develop secondary scoliosis which may become the primary concern of the parents and treating primary physician. CASE REPORT: An 8-year-old girl presented to us with chief complaints of low back ache for 1 year and back deformity for 3–4 months. She was treated initially by a primary physician with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. There was a significant reduction in her back pain with medications. The patient was further radiologically evaluated once she developed a back deformity which reported a lesion involving the posterior elements of the L3 vertebra (? Osteoid osteoma). For this, open excision with curettage was preferred over radiofrequency ablation due to its location. The patient subsequently had good pain relief and the deformity got corrected for 3 months. CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency ablation or surgical excision with curettage of osteoid osteoma is required as prolonged analgesic medication has its own side effects. Once the pain subsides, the paraspinal muscle spasm reduces and the scoliosis gradually corrects.