ABSTRACT
Osteochondromata are common, benign tumours mainly affecting long-bone metaphyses. They comprise 35% of all primary benign bone tumours and 8% of all bone tumours overall, although their true incidence is unknown as many remain undiagnosed. They can cause multiple symptoms including pain and referral for excision is not uncommon. What is less recognized is their potential for spontaneous regression, a phenomenon that renders excision surgery, with its potential risks, unnecessary. We present an illustrated case of a spontaneously resolved, solitary osteochondroma in a young male, highlighting that solitary osteochondromata can actually resolve and in the asymptomatic child, a period of watchful waiting can be an appropriate option, avoiding a potentially unnecessary surgical excision with recognized complications.
Subject(s)
Bone Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Femur/pathology , Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous , Osteochondroma/diagnostic imaging , Watchful Waiting/methods , Bone Neoplasms/pathology , Child , Humans , Male , Osteochondroma/pathology , Risk Assessment , Time Factors , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methodsABSTRACT
Plagiocephaly, from the Greek 'plagios' (slanting) and 'kephale' (head), refers to a condition of an infant's head deformation by forces acting upon a malleable cranium. Marked plagiocephaly causes distress and stigma towards the baby and their family and has knock-on effects with craniofacial abnormalities, visual-field defects and delay in motor skills, and may also cause developmental difficulties. Current treatment methods have multiple drawbacks. This small, illustrated case series presents a novel, cost-effective, practical first-line treatment using a horseshoe-shaped gel head ring to redistribute pressure, allowing uniform growth and reshaping. Our early experience suggests that this method represents an effective treatment option with promising results so far.
