An osteochondroma looks like a bony projection on the external surface of a bone, like a bony mushroom on a stalk, usually near a growth plate area. It can occur in any bone but is seen most often around the knee or upper arm.
These are the most common symptoms of osteochondroma: A hard, mass that is painless and does not move. Lower-than-normal-height for age. One leg or arm that is longer than the other.
Is osteochondroma serious? Generally, no. A solitary osteochondroma usually won't require any treatment, unless the growth begins to put pressure on nearby tissues, nerves, blood vessels or other bones. In these cases, it may need to be removed.
Many osteochondromas can be treated without surgery. A solitary (only one in the body) osteochondroma can be removed if it causes pain or other problems. Some patients have many osteochondromas all over the body. This is called multiple osteochondromatosis.
The cause of osteochondroma is unknown, but the tumor is thought to be related to an abnormality in the growth plate, causing a bony prominence to grow away from the bone.
Although it is rare for an osteochondroma to change into a cancerous tumor, it is possible. In adults, a thick covering of cartilage over the tumor is one sign of such a change. A tumor in an adult patient should be checked for cancer if it is enlarging or has become painful. Biopsy.
Osteochondroma shrinkage was the most common outcome (8 cases), followed by stable osteochondromas (6 cases), and osteochondromas that had progressed (3 cases). Tumors with sessile morphology were more prone to shrinkage (6 of 7 cases) compared with those of pedunculated morphology (2 of 10 cases; p = 0.015).
Osteochondroma is the most common benign bone tumor accounting for 20-50% of benign bone tumors and 9% of all bone tumors (1-3). It is defined as a cartilage-capped bony projection on the external surface of a bone (2,4).
Osteochondromas are benign lesions that do not affect life expectancy. However, the risk of malignant transformation (to secondary chondrosarcoma) should be taken onto consideration, especially in cases of multiple exostoses.
The incidence of hereditary multiple osteochondromas is estimated to be 1 in 50,000 individuals.
Although the majority of these lesions are found incidentally without specific inciting event, there have been reported cases of osteochondromas arising after fractures, trauma, radiation, and hematopoietic stem cell transplants [4].
Osteochondroma presents as either solitary or multiple, and is the most common benign bone tumor. It commonly occurs in the proximal tibia, proximal humerus and proximal tibia, but can also occur in flat bones, and less commonly in the spine.
The exact cause of osteosarcoma is not known, but it is believed to be due to DNA mutations inside bone cells—either inherited or acquired after birth.
The operation is usually straightforward and involves removing the lump level to the bone. It involves a general anaesthetic (you are fully asleep) and usually done as a day case. Through an incision over the lump, it is then removed level to the bone.
Osteochondroma is the most common benign tumor of the bone. The incidence of osteochondroma is approximately 0.9 per 100,000 individuals in the general population. The incidence of osteochondroma decreases with age; the median age at diagnosis is between 10 to 13 years.
The risk of osteosarcoma is highest for those between the ages of 10 and 30, especially during the teenage growth spurt. This suggests there may be a link between rapid bone growth and risk of tumor formation. The risk goes down in middle age, but rises again in older adults (usually over the age of 60).
Osteosarcoma often starts at the end of the long bones, where new bone tissue forms as a young person grows. Any bone in the body can be affected. The most common sites are in the arms and legs, particularly around the knee and shoulder joints. There are several different types of osteosarcoma.
About half of these are in children and teens. Most osteosarcomas occur in children, teens, and young adults between the ages of 10 and 30. Teens are the most commonly affected age group, but people of any age can develop osteosarcoma. About 1 in 10 osteosarcomas occur in people older than 60.
Parosteal osteosarcoma can be rarely confused with osteochondroma. A radiologic-pathologic correlation is essential. Cortex continuity is the most misleading imaging feature that may occur in parosteal osteosarcomas.
Parosteal osteosarcoma can be rarely confused with osteochondroma. A radiologic-pathologic correlation is essential. Cortex continuity is the most misleading imaging feature that may occur in parosteal osteosarcomas.
Often, there is a firm swelling or lump in the area of the pain. This swelling is caused by the tumor growing inside the bone. If the cancer is in a leg bone, the person may limp.
Osteosarcoma is most often found in the long bones — more often the legs, but sometimes the arms — but it can start in any bone. In very rare instances, it occurs in soft tissue outside the bone.
Blood tests are not needed to diagnose osteosarcoma, but they may be helpful once a diagnosis is made. For example, high levels of chemicals in the blood such as alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) can suggest that the osteosarcoma may be more advanced.