Abstract
Osteoblastoma is an uncommon, solitary, benign, vascular, bone and osteoid-producing tumor that is rich in osteoblasts and most often involves long bones of the extremities and vertebrae.
Recently, we have diagnosed and treated an agressive osteoblastoma of the fifth cervical vertebrae in a 55-year-old woman. Osteoblastoma usually occurs in posterior elements of the spine. This is an extreamely rare case as the tumor was in the entire vertebrae. According to Dorfman and Weiss, this shows atypical cytologic features that correlate with a tendency for local recurrence. Therefore, it is important to perform radical surgery for the treatment of agressive osteoblastoma. In this case, it was necessary to leave a small part of tumor because of the anatomical character of the spine. It is considered the tumor's progress must be carefully monitored.
