ABC7’s The More in the Morning team spoke with Dr. Michael K. Kim and he explains what an osteoma is and how they and other head tumors are caused. Growths on the head can cause concern, but doctors say oftentimes they can be benign and easily removed by a simple procedure.
Osteomas are benign outgrowths of bone found mainly on the bones of the skull. These tumors are slow growing and usually cause no symptoms.
There are two types of osteomas:
- Compact osteomas are composed of mature lamellar bone
- Spongy osteomas are composed of trabecular bone with marrow
Treatment is only necessary for osteomas that are causing symptoms. In most cases, osteomas do not cause symptoms. In fact, a person may not realize that they have a growth until a doctor examines the sinuses or the skull due to other health concerns the person has.
If the osteoma occurs near the surface of the skin, doctors can often create small incisions in the skin to remove the growth. Large growths may require more invasive techniques, however.