From the Research
Osteomas can indeed cause headaches, particularly when they occur in the skull or sinuses, as evidenced by a case study of a 53-year-old patient with a frontal recess osteoma who presented with severe headache 1. These benign bone tumors create pressure on surrounding tissues, nerves, or blood vessels, which can trigger headache pain. The headaches associated with osteomas are typically localized to the area where the tumor is growing and may worsen over time as the osteoma increases in size. For frontal sinus osteomas, the headache is often felt in the forehead region and may intensify with changes in weather or sinus pressure. Some key points to consider include:
- Osteomas show very slow continuous growth, even in adulthood, and are almost exclusive to the craniofacial area 2.
- The diagnosis of osteomas is usually made by plain radiography or by a computed tomography (CT) scan performed for other reasons, and cone beam CT is the optimal imaging modality for assessing the relationship between osteomas and adjacent structures 2.
- Treatment depends on the size, location, and symptoms of the osteoma, with small, asymptomatic osteomas simply being monitored, while larger ones causing persistent headaches typically requiring surgical removal 2.
- The surgical approach varies based on location but often involves endoscopic techniques for sinus osteomas or craniotomy for intracranial lesions, with radical surgical resection being the gold standard therapy 2. Pain management before surgery may include standard headache medications like acetaminophen or NSAIDs, though these only address symptoms rather than the underlying cause. If you're experiencing persistent headaches and suspect an osteoma, medical evaluation with imaging studies such as CT scans is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment planning, and it is also important to be aware of the possibility of Gardner's syndrome in patients with paranasal sinus osteomas 3.