Ewing's sarcoma of proximal phalanx of the hand with skip metastases to metacarpals.

Abstract

Ewing's sarcoma is the second most common malignant primary bone tumor of childhood and adolescence affecting mainly the diaphysis of long bones and flat bones. This tumor is extraordinarily rare in small bones of the hand and presents as a swelling with atypical radiological features of cystic and lytic lesion with scant periosteal reaction. The common differential diagnosis include osteomyelitis, tuberculosis, enchondroma and benign tumors. Moreover, skip metastasis to adjacent bones is even rarer. The prognosis of this condition is greatly influenced by the presence of metastasis at presentation, further emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis. Multimodality treatment using surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy is currently recommended though no consensus exists. We report a case of Ewing's sarcoma of the little finger proximal phalanx which was initially missed and developed skip metastasis to several metacarpals within 4 months.