Partial ablation of benign osteoblastoma: a case report

Osteoblastoma is a rare bone tumor involving spine, long bones and infrequently skull, especially with sinus localization. The orbital localization of the neoplasia may cause axial or paraxial exophthalmus, vertical diplopia, pulsatile orbital pain, soft tissue swelling with skin erythema. In addition the osteoblastoma may cause an optic nerve compression, with optic disc edema up to optic nerve atrophy. We describe a case of giant benign osteoblastoma with frontal occurrence and orbital involvement with optic nerve compression. Surgery was performed in order to obtain the partial ablation of the neoplasia. After a 4-year follow-up there was no evidence of recurrence.