A study of twenty-five new cases of osteoblastoma and a review of 172
previously reported cases demonstrated the wide spectrum of manifestations
of the lesion. The ratio of males to females was 2:1, with 80 per cent of
the patients being under thirty years of age. The duration of complaints
prior to diagnosis averaged seventeen months. The majority of the lesions
were found in the spine or major long bones of the lower extremity. When
complete excision of the tumor was done a cure always was the result, but
incomplete curettage also affected a cure in some cases. Three cases
presented in detail emphasize the wide variation in biological behavior
which this lesion may exhibit. Histological characteristics of aneurysmal
bone cyst may frequently appear in the tumor tissue. Radiotherapy does not
alter the course of the disease and appears to be contraindicated.