Rare case of juvenile ossifying fibroma of the lumbar spine causing vertebra plana.

Juvenile ossifying fibroma (JOF) is a rare benign fibro-osseous tumour occurring in craniofacial bones of children and young adults. An 8-year-old girl presented with low back pain since 10 months. Plain radiographs revealed a vertebra plana-like lesion of L3 vertebra. CT scan showed an osteolytic lesion with areas of ground-glass appearance interspersed with bone flecks involving the entire body, pedicles and laminae of L3 with well-circumscribed cortical margins. Biopsy was done-histopathological findings showed cellular fibrous stroma with bony trabeculae-which, on corroboration with clinical and radiological findings noted previously, confirmed the diagnosis of JOF. The patient underwent preoperative angioembolisation, curettage and posterior stabilisation. At follow-up of 15 months, the patient was asymptomatic-imaging revealed residual tumour in pedicles-which however did not progress radiologically. The case raises the importance of including this rare condition as a differential diagnosis in children and reports successful outcome with subtotal resection.