CT remains the best imaging modality for diagnosis of osteoid osteoma. MR images should not be interpreted without reference to plain radiographs and CT scans if serious errors in diagnosis are to be avoided.

The results of this study confirm the efficacy of percutaneous resection of osteoid osteomas and the possibility of using this method for successful treatment of other small bone lesions.

In 24 patients with presumed osteoid osteoma in the appendicular skeleton (n = 23) and lumbar spine (n = 1), percutaneous resection with a drill system and computed tomographic (CT) guidance was performed. In the procedure, a 7-mm-diameter toothed drill inserted over a guide wire is used to remove the nidus. Twenty-three patients were successfully treated. Histologic confirmation of osteoid osteoma was obtained in 19 cases. In one patient, open surgery with bone grafting and osteosynthesis was necessary because of inadvertent extensive bone resection resulting from damage to the drill. All patients have remained free of pain and recurrence for 3-24 months. Although the procedure was effective in all patients, the 7-mm diameter of the toothed drill may cause difficulty in small bones or even danger in areas such as the posterior vertebral arch. In locations such as the tubular bones of the lower extremity and the femoral neck, however, this technique is feasible and may become the treatment of choice for osteoid osteoma.

Fifteen patients with active inoperable pulmonary aspergilloma underwent percutaneous injection of a special therapeutic paste of glycerin and amphotericin B. This paste was warmed just prior to injection, and filling of the lesional cavity was achieved in one session if it was possible to obtain anaerobic conditions for destruction of the aspergilloma. Injection was performed with computed tomographic guidance with use of an 18-gauge flexible needle and with administration of anti-coughing analgesia. Follow-up was continued for 7 months on average. Filling of the lesion cavities required three sessions on average because of cough or bronchospasm. In 12 cases the aspergilloma regressed within 3 months and results at serology became negative. In three cases, there was no change in the cavity, but hemoptysis did not recur. Results in this series confirm the feasibility and efficacy of this palliative treatment.

No abstract