Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Osteoid osteoma is a well-known benign tumor of bone. It occurs in children and young adults and is rarely seen above the age of 40. It is uncommon in hand and wrist. If it occurs in hand and wrist, its diagnosis is difficult because of its unusual presentations both clinically and radiologically.

Materials and Methods: We encountered ten patients with osteoid osteoma of hand during the last ten years in orthopedic department of Emam university hospital from 1970 to 1979.

Results: The average age of ten patients with osteoid osteoma of the hand and wrist that were treated in Imam hospital from 1369 to 1378, was 22.9 years (range, 14 to 33 years). Five lesions were in proximal phalanx, one in middle phalanx, and one in distal phalanx. In the wrist, one lesion was in the capitate, one in the lunate, and one in the hamate. The average time from onset of symptoms to successful treatment was 20 months (range, 4 months to 60 months). Three of ten patients had had treatment elsewhere, all of them had had unsuccessful operative procedures related to incorrect diagnosis. All patients had a minimum follow-up of 6 months (range, 6 months to 9 years, mean: 4.6 years). The operative treatment were successful in all ten patients without any signs or symptoms of recurrence. Only limitation of proximal interphalangeal joint range of motion was remained in one patient due to 60 months delay in diagnosis and treatment.

Conclusion: High index of suspicion is necessary for diagnosis of osteoid osteoma of hand because of unusual presentation of it. The most important factors for successful treatment of osteoid osteoma of hand are accurate diagnosis and exact preoperative planning.

Background and Aim: Osteoblastoma is one of the rarest primary bone tumors. Although, small bones of the hands and feet are the third most common location for this tumor, the hand involvement is very rare and few case observations were published in the English-language literature.                     

Materials and Methods: In this study, we report five cases of benign osteoblastoma of the hand, 3 in metacarpals and two in phalanxes. The clinical feature is not specific. The severe nocturnal, salicylate-responsive pain is not present in patients with osteoblastoma. The pain is dull, persistent and less localized. The clinical course is usually long and there is often symptoms for months before medical attention are sought. Swelling is a more persistent finding in osteoblastoma of the hand that we found in all of our patients. The radiologic findings are indistinctive, so preoperative diagnosis based on X-ray appearance is difficult. In all of our 5 cases, we fail to consider osteoblastoma as primary diagnosis. Pathologically, osteoblastoma consisting of a well-vascularized connective tissue stroma in which there is active production of osteoid and primitive woven bone. Treatment depends on the stage and localization of the tumor. Curettage and bone grafting is sufficient in stage 1 or stage 2, but in stage 3 wide resection is necessary for prevention of recurrence. Osteosarcoma is the most important differential diagnosis that may lead to inappropriate operation.

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify variables affecting outcome in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) treated with canalith repositioning maneuver (CRM).

Methods: This interventional study was conducted on 58 patients (14 males, 44 females, mean age 48.12+13.22) referred to the Vertigo Rehabilitation Clinic of the Rehabilitation School of Tehran University of Medical Sciences from 2002 to 2004. All patients were treated with CRM. According to the treatment efficacy the patients were allocated in three groups: completely treated, partially treated, and not treated. The effect of factors including age, sex, etiology, duration of BPPV, unilateral or bilateral disease, number of maneuvers, and number of sessions on outcome in patients was evaluated.

Results: Forty-nine patients (84.5%) were completely cured. Age, sex, etiology, and duration did not significantly affect the treatment outcome. Unilateral BPPV can be treated significantly better than bilateral BPPV. Forty-seven patients who were completely treated needed 1 session and thirty-seven of them required 2 maneuvers.

Conclusion: CRM is significantly effective for BPPV treatment. Treating unilateral BPPV is expected to be easier. As most of the patients will be cured by 1 or 2 maneuvers or in 1 session, patients who required more sessions or more maneuvers may not be completely treated.

Background: Laryngeal videostroboscopy is an important noninvasive diagnostic tool in patients with dysphonia. More than 50% of patients with dysphonia have a benign laryngeal lesion on vocal fold examination. The aim of this study was to evaluate patients with benign laryngeal lesions by videostroboscopy.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 159 patients with dysphonia in Amiralam Hospital in Tehran, Iran during 2006-2007. All the patients underwent stroboscopic examination of the vocal folds, including their movement. We also evaluated the patients for mucosal status, mucosal wave and patterns of glottal closure.
Results: Eighty-two patients participating in the study were female and 77 were male. Reflux laryngitis and muscle tension dysphonia were the most observed disorders in the patient population. Patients with sulcus vocalis and intracordal cysts had the worst mucosal wave patterns.
Conclusion: Laryngeal videostroboscopy is a useful tool for the diagnosis and treatment planning in patients with benign laryngeal lesions.