Outcomes and Decision Making for the Management of Intramedullary Cartilage Tumors of the Long Bones / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: Intramedullary cartilage forming tumors in the meta-diaphysis of the long bones can represent an enchondroma or a low-grade chondrosarcoma, with the latter requiring adequate surgical treatment. However, these two lesions have overlapping clinical and histological features and so they pose a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical outcome and to determine the relevant clinical and radiographic parameters for deciding on the treatment for these tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 73 patients who were treated for enchondroma or low-grade chondrosarcoma that was located in the metaphysis or diaphysis of the bones. There were 20 men and 53 women with an average age of 49 years (range: 18-80). The locations were the proximal humerus (n=34), distal femur (24), proximal femur (6), proximal tibia (3), proximal fibula (2), humerus shaft (2) and femur shaft (2). 41 patients were treated surgically and 32 patients were simply observed based on the following parameters at presentation; the presence of pain, the tumor length and radiographic evidence of endosteal erosion. RESULTS: All of the 32 patients who were initially observed had no evidence of disease progression at the last follow-up (average: 3.2 years, range: 1.0-14.9). Forty (98%) of the surgically treated patients showed no recurrence at the the last follow-up (average: 4.3 years, range: 1.0-14.0). CONCLUSION: The presence of pain, tumor length and radiographic evidence of endosteal erosion should be considered to determine the best course of treatment for intramedullary cartilage forming tumors in the meta-diaphysis of the long bones. With the appropriate selection of the patients, these tumors can be successfully treated nonoperatively.

Periosteal chondroma arising in the Phalangeal Bone: Report of Three Cases / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Periosteal chondroma is a slowly growing cartilage tumor of limited size, which develops within and beneath the periosteal connective tissue and characteristically erodes and induces sclerosis of the contiguous cortical bone. The typical morphology of this tumor consists of an area of outer cortex scalloping involving the metaphyseal lesion of a long bone with slightly overhanging edges and a small amount of cartilage calcified matrix adjacent to the scalloping. Histologically this benign tumor can mimic chondrosarcoma. Awareness of this fact is important in order to avoid overdiagnosis and resultant overtreatment of the benign lesion. We report three cases of periosteal chondromas arising in the phalangeal bones of the hand. All were treated by curettage. No local recurrence was seen following this treatment.