Osteoid osteoma of the atlas has previously been reported very rarely in the published literature. The traditional standard treatment has been a surgical resection of the nidus. Recently, computed tomography (CT)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has gained favor as a more precise alternative treatment. Here, we present a case of osteoid osteoma of the C1 lateral mass treated successfully using CT-guided RFA. A 30-year-old woman who presented with a four-month history of occipital and suboccipital pain was treated by CT-guided RFA. The visual analog scale (VAS) assessed the pain before and after RFA. The patient reported significant pain relief and normal activities. The VAS score reduced from 8/7 to 1/0 after the procedure. Therefore CT-guided percutaneous RFA of C1 vertebral osteoid osteoma is a safe and effective method. The technique might be contraindicated when the nidus is less than 2 mm away from the neural structures.
Keywords: Atlas; benign bone tumor; cervical spine; osteoid osteoma; radiofrequency ablation.