ABSTRACT
The management of musculoskeletal tumours is important because of the high mortality rates associated with the available treatment modalities. A 5-year prospective study of bone and soft-tissue tumours is presented, along with the difficulties encountered in diagnosis and treatment. There were 71 patients (male:female ratio of 1.7:1, age range 5-85 years, mean age 32 years) with an average duration of 24.7 weeks (range 1 day to 34 years) before presentation. No patient had computed tomography (CT) scanning or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) due to financial constraints, 95% had biopsies and X-rays, 15% could afford chemotherapy/ror chemotherapy is a sad consequence. 50% agreed to amputation. In the soft-tissue sarcoma group, only one of three patients could pay for limb-sparing surgery. In the benign group, 65% had limb-sparing surgeries and 15% had amputation. Fifty percent (50%) of patients were lost to follow up within 3 months and 39% of the malignant group died within the same period. Musculoskeletal tumours are a reality in our environment and a significant portion of our population have financial limitations. Ignorance and cultural beliefs promote late presentation to our hospitals, which are poorly equipped to give optimal care, despite the presence of trained personnel.
Subject(s)
Bone Neoplasms/diagnosis , Bone Neoplasms/therapy , Sarcoma/diagnosis , Sarcoma/therapy , Soft Tissue Neoplasms/diagnosis , Soft Tissue Neoplasms/therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Amputation, Surgical , Biopsy , Bone Neoplasms/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Drug Therapy , Educational Status , Female , Health Services Accessibility , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , Nigeria/epidemiology , Prospective Studies , Radiotherapy , Religion , Sarcoma/epidemiology , Socioeconomic Factors , Soft Tissue Neoplasms/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Giant cell tumours (GCT) are the commonest bone tumours worldwide. It is rarely malignant but when it does it progresses to fibrosarcoma with high mortality. Otherwise it causes poor cosmesis; disability and pathological fractures. A total of 19 cases of histologically established Giant cell tumour of the bone were reviewed prospectively in a 5 year study. 14 cases were benign; 4 malignant and one was a malignant transformation. Lesions around the knee accounted for 42.2of the cases; but the radius was the commonest single bone affected with 26.3. Eleven patients had curettage; five of them had autogenous bone grafting while the remaining six had bone grafting and plate augmentation. One patient had fore-quarter amputation while seven had tumour resection. There was no recurrence recorded among those that had currretage and autogenous bone grafting. 33of those that had curettage and bone cementing as well as 16.6of those that had resection presented with recurrence. One patient died within 3 months of surgery due to metastasis to the lungs; liver and spleen. Mean follow up was 9.2 months (range of 2 to 60 months). With early presentation; curretage and bone grafting is often effective; late presentation however has an increased risk of recurrence due to soft tissue involvement; dearth of investigative tools and financial constraints
