Rib osteoblastoma as an incidental finding in a patient with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present an unreported case of rib osteoblastoma associated with progressive adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and to discuss thoracogenic scoliosis as a potential cause of curve progression after tumor resection. An 11-year and 8-month-old girl with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis was referred with an incidental finding of an expansile lesion in the posterior left seventh rib. A computed tomography-guided needle biopsy established the diagnosis of benign osteoblastoma. Transarterial embolization was performed followed by wide resection. Sixteen months after surgery the patient underwent posterior spinal fusion to address her scoliosis progression during the growth spurt. Forty-one and 25 months after rib resection and spinal fusion, respectively, the patient remains asymptomatic, without local tumor recurrence, and with excellent correction of her spinal deformity. Although scoliosis secondary to rib osteoblastoma has been described in the literature, rib osteoblastoma may coexist with idiopathic scoliosis. In such a case, surgical management of osteoblastoma should not interfere with treatment of idiopathic scoliosis.

Osteoblastoma of the Rib Mimicking Lymphomatous Involvement on 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging

“…It has been reported that osteoblastoma can accumulate 18 F-FDG, 6–10 which was consistent with the PET/CT manifestations in our patient. According to previous reports, most cases of rib osteoblastoma manifest as large masses with a certain space-occupying effect, and the tumor size is usually much larger than that of this patient 11–16 . The observations in this case expand our knowledge about the etiology of lesions in the ribs.…”

“…According to previous reports, most cases of rib osteoblastoma manifest as large masses with a certain space-occupying effect, and the tumor size is usually much larger than that of this patient. [11][12][13][14][15][16] The observations in this case expand our knowledge about the etiology of lesions in the ribs. Osteoblastoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained focal lesions of the ribs on 18 F-FDG PET/CT in elderly patients.…”

The Prevalence of Hip Dysplasia on Radiographs for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

“…The pediatric orthopaedic literature is replete with reports of incidental findings unrelated to the target diagnosis or pathology discovered on radiographs and other imaging modalities. 9,10 Complete radiographic evaluation of patients with presumed AIS includes not only the spine but also enough of the pelvis to determine the patient's Risser sign and the status of the tri-radiate cartilages. 8 To obtain images that provide this information, the hips are frequently imaged as well.…”