Images of Musculoskeletal Oncology

Enchondroma
A 53 year old female has left small finger discomfort over the past two years after jamming her finger while loading wood. Her discomfort worsened six months ago and she noted swelling in the area.

The routine radiograph of her hand demonstrates a large osteolytic lesion in the proximal end of the proximal phalanx of her little finger. The differential diagnosis includes enchondroma, chondrosarcoma, aneurysmal bone cyst, and giant cell tumor.
The MRI's clearly demonstrate the mass which has markedly expanded the medullary canal in the tumor and has thinned but not completely destroyed the cortex.


The histosections of the biopsy and intralesional removal demonstrates benign myxomatous cartilage, fibrous tissue and reactive bone. The diagnosis was enchondroma proximal phalanx-active 2.


Three month post operative radiograph demonstrates that the enchondroma has been thoroughly curetted and replaced by a large piece of allograft bone. Patient is doing very well with increasing hand function.

Learning Issues:

1. Enchondroma is a common cause of osteolytic lesions in the phalanges of the hand.


Images of Musculoskeletal Oncology
University at Buffalo Department of Orthopaedics