Radio-frequency ablation, fast gaining credibility in treatment of soft-tissue tumors, is showing promise for osteoid osteomas as well, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers.
Investigators performed a retrospective analysis on nine patients with osteoid osteomas treated with RFA. The ablative procedure was successful in eight, although some required follow-up treatment during an average 10.3 months of follow-up. Findings were published in the March issue of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
Osteoid osteomas are painful but common benign bone tumors that affect primarily children and young adults. RFA can eliminate the pain on its first application and can be applied again if necessary, said coauthor Dr. Kieran Murphy, an interventional radiologist at Hopkins.
The procedure requires introduction of a core needle through the bone above the lesion, insertion of an RFA probe, and ablation of the tissue. The researchers used standard fluoroscopy, CT, and CT fluoroscopy for guidance. They preferred the latter.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the current standard of care for osteoid osteomas, can fail to alleviate the pain. Surgical resection is the next treatment option, but it carries associated risks such as bone fracture and surgical complications.
RFA provides a new, potentially cost-effective alternative, Murphy said. Even though bone tumor ablation requires general anesthesia, it can be done on an outpatient basis and does not require rehabilitation. Patients can resume normal activities almost immediately.
"RFA of bone tumors is minimally invasive, is simple, and works," he said.
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