An Uncommon Cause of Cervical Pain in a Child: Osteoblastoma of the Cervical Spine

An T Hoang; Cerys Arnold; Kathryn A Szymanski; Dane Van Tassel

doi:10.7759/cureus.100714

An Uncommon Cause of Cervical Pain in a Child: Osteoblastoma of the Cervical Spine

Cureus. 2026 Jan 3;18(1):e100714. doi: 10.7759/cureus.100714. eCollection 2026 Jan.

Authors

An T Hoang¹, Cerys Arnold¹, Kathryn A Szymanski², Dane Van Tassel^{3

1}

Affiliations

¹ Radiology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Phoenix, USA.
² Radiology, University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
³ Radiology, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, USA.

Abstract

Osteoblastoma in children is a rare diagnosis of primary bone tumors. This case report describes a C5 osteoblastoma in a 12-year-old male patient with upper back and neck pain. While initial radiographs were unrevealing, CT and MRI showed an impinging left C5 pedicle mass, with neural foramina narrowing. Pathology reports confirmed an osteoblastic lesion without malignant characteristics. Infrequent occurrence of osteoblastoma and potentially inconclusive radiographs may lead to diagnostic delays. Thorough evaluation of back pain in pediatric patients is critical in promptly detecting osteoblastoma and other neoplasms.

Keywords: cervical osteoblastoma; pediatric back pain; pediatric msk radiology; pediatric radiology; radiology.

Publication types

Case Reports