Malignant osteoblastoma

The clinical, radiographic and pathological features are described of eight cases of a bone tumour which we propose to classify as "malignant osteoblastoma". It presents the characteristics of genuine osteoblastoma but of an aggressive pattern, with more abundant and often plump hyperchromatic nuclei, greater nuclear atypia, and numerous giant cells of osteoclastic type. This rare tumour is regarded as the malignant counterpart of osteoblastoma and appears to be only locally aggressive. It should be separated from conventional osteosarcoma not only because of its peculiar histological pattern, but also because of its different clinical and radiological features and better prognosis. Thus seven of the eight patients were alive and free of disease from one and a half to eleven years after the initial surgical treatment, which in only two cases included amputation. Excision or block resection is the preferred method of treatment.