Primary aneurysmal bone cyst of hands and feet: A series of 14 cases

Abstract

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a relatively rare, benign bone tumor that occurs exceptionally in the hands and feet. The objective of this article is to present clinical, radiological, histopathological features and management of a series of 14 primary ABC cases in these unusual locations. Eight cases occurred in hands and six in feet. We present the first reported subungual case to occur in the hand. The average age of the patients was 26 years (range 7 to 49), with half being over the age of twenty at diagnosis. The male to female ration was 9:5. In radiological terms, ABC appeared as an expansive lesion with internal septa and without cortical disruption. Twelve cases displayed the classic multicystic morphology and two cases were of the solid variant. “Blue bone” was detected in 50 % of the specimens. Treatment consisted of curettage, excision, or amputation in all cases. Recurrence rate was observed in 35 % of the cases, with the similar ABC morphology as the original samples. New therapeutic options have been proposed on their own or in combination with surgery to reduce local recurrence rates.