Abstract

Background: Osteoid osteomas are benign lesions of osteoblastic activity. These are frequently found in many instances where there is pain of unexplainable background. But many a times the entity is found as incidental finding while the patient is being evaluated for some other reason.
Case presentation: We present 15 years old boy who reported for backache of two months duration. This used to get worsened at night time and with some relief with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Plain X-ray did not show any abnormality. The child underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which has given some clue for further evaluation by non-contrast computerized tomography (NCCT) of lumbosacral region. This had brought out the diagnosis which was subsequently confirmed by radio-nuclear studies.
Conclusion: Pediatric age group backache is a rare phenomenon and thorough search is required to investigate the cause. Various imaging modalities often locate the pathology if evaluated properly. This helps in the management of the case.

Key words: Osteoid osteoma, case report, backache, NSAID, MRI, NCCT