Abstract
Giant cell tumors are rare benign lesions that typically occur at the epiphyses of long bones in the extremities and present with pain or swelling. These lesions very seldom occur in the skull, where they preferentially affect the sphenoid and temporal bones that develop by endochondral ossification. We report a rare case of a giant cell tumor of the frontal bone and review the literature on these lesions. A 21-year-old woman presented with localized swelling and tenderness over the left frontal bone. Imaging revealed a lytic lesion involving the left frontal bone, which was managed via left frontal craniectomy with resection of the bone and epidural mass. Histopathology revealed a giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB). Most data on giant cell tumors in the skull consist of case reports, with many large series of giant cell tumors having no examples in the skull. This report contributes to the scarce literature on these tumors in the skull.
Highlights
Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) represents approximately three to five percent of all primary bone tumors in the United States, yet it represents 20 percent of all primary bone tumors in China [1,2,3,4]
We report a rare case of a giant cell tumor of the frontal bone and review the literature on these lesions
This report contributes to the scarce literature on these tumors in the skull
Summary
Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) represents approximately three to five percent of all primary bone tumors in the United States, yet it represents 20 percent of all primary bone tumors in China [1,2,3,4]. Recent evidence suggests there may be value in the genetic and histological characterization of GCTB to rule out the possible association with Paget disease, especially in cases that affect the skull or pelvis [14]. History was positive for diabetes mellitus (DM) type II in both her father and her grandfather and colon cancer and coronary artery disease in her other grandfather She admitted to drinking alcohol one to two times per week but denied use of tobacco and drugs. A soft left frontal lesion associated with tenderness to palpation, without erythema or drainage, was palpated slightly off midline CT of the head without contrast (Figure 1A) revealed an expansive soft tissue mass with beveled edges and dimensions measuring approximately 3.5 x 2.1 x 2.3 cm in the left frontal calvarium. The mononuclear cells were noted to range in shape from spindlelike to rounded (C; green arrows) with the presence of large nuclei and prominent nucleoli
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