Aneurysmal bone cyst involving the long finger metacarpal in a child: a case report

Hand's aneurysmal bone cyst: A rare localization. Case report and systematic literature review

Aneurysmal bone cysts are benign, rare bony tumours frequently observed among children and young adults principally located in the long bones, pelvis, and spine and rarely in other anatomical district such as the hand. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl with an aneurysmal bone cyst, in active stage, involving the still-open epiphysis of the fourth metacarpal of the right hand, which was in a first time treated by curettage, and 3 months later, occurring a recurrence, by a radically excision of the bone and reconstruction with a graft from the iliac crest. At 10-year follow-up the patient had good cosmetic results and a functioning hand. We also performed a systematic Literature review in order to retrieve the key information regarding: the diagnosis, the clinical features and the treatment.

En bloc Excision and Matched Metatarsal Transfer for Expansive Benign Osteolytic Lesions of the Metacarpal

PURPOSE

Benign aggressive expansile osteolytic lesions such as giant cell tumors and aneurysmal bone cysts involving the metacarpal head pose problems in management. Unacceptably high rates of recurrence are reported after curettage and bone grafting. An en bloc excision of such tumors ideally requires osteoarticular replacement of the excised metacarpal heads to retain mobility and function. We used nonvascularized metatarsal head and shaft harvested from the foot to replace the metacarpal defect after en bloc resection to retain movement and function of metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint. The purpose of this study was to evaluate results of patients who underwent this procedure.

METHOD

Nine patients treated with metatarsal transfer for osteoarticular reconstruction after en bloc excision of benign aggressive osteolytic metacarpal head tumors were reviewed retrospectively. The postoperative evaluation included examination of radiographs, joint mobility, and patient rated return of function using the Michigan Hand Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Of 9 patients, 4 had aneurysmal bone cyst, 4 had giant cell tumor, and 1 an atypical cartilaginous lesion. Patients were aged between 14 and 45 years at the time of surgery. After an average of 44 months of follow-up (minimum follow-up of 24 months; range, 24-104 months), all patients had good postoperative function, satisfactory results, and no recurrence of tumor. The mean active range of motion at the reconstructed MCP joint was 75° (range, 0° to 90°). The Michigan Hand Questionnaire score averaged 80 (range, 69-92). No patient complained of donor site morbidity. One patient underwent MCP joint fusion after a pin tract infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a matched metatarsal graft for osteoarticular reconstruction after en bloc excision of benign aggressive tumors involving the metacarpal head is a potential treatment option. In this limited series, consistent results with respect to functional range of motion at MCP joint, and without recurrence of tumor or notable donor site morbidity were obtained.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic IV.

Bipolar electric cauterization as adjuvant treatment after curettage of aneurysmal bone cysts of the hand

Almost all aneurysmal bone cysts of the hand were managed with either simple curettage plus or minus bone graft or en block excision and autograft reconstruction. The high recurrence rate is a major disadvantage of the former technique, whereas complexity/donor-site morbidities are known disadvantages of the latter technique. In the long bones of the lower limbs, adjuvant therapy after curettage is known to reduce the recurrence rate. This article introduces adjuvant bipolar electrical cauterization after curettage of aneurysmal bone cysts of the hands. This technique was used in 6 cases including 1 case with a recurrent lesion after curettage done elsewhere. Complications have been minimal and there was no recurrence at a mean follow-up of 3 years. Although the number of cases in this series is small, the favorable results warrant trying the technique in a multicenter comparative study.

TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE FOURTH METACARPAL BONE BY ANEURYSMAL BONE CYST: RECONSTRUCTION WITH STRUT FIBULAR GRAFT — A CASE REPORT

Total destruction of the fourth metacarpal bone by aneurysmal bone cyst is presented. Despite the benign nature of the lesion on plain radiograms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revealed total destruction of metacarpal bone with shelling off the articular cartilages on both ends of the metacarpal. Both adjacent dorsal interosseous muscles were also involved with tumour. After removal of the metacarpal bone and third and fourth interossei, fibular bicortical strut graft was used for reconstruction. Arthrodesis was done both at the carpometacarpal and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints. The follow-up radiograms at one year revealed excellent incorporation of the graft with no evidence of local recurrence. A careful pre-operative work-up including MRI seems necessary even in lesions that look typically benign with intraosseous location on plain radiograms. This approach may prevent unpredicted morphologic picture during surgery, high recurrence rate and the number of operations.

Aneurysmal bone cyst of the index sesamoid

Sesamoid bone disorders are rare and usually are a result of trauma or degenerative causes. Tumors of the sesamoid bones of the hand are encountered less frequently. We report a case of an aneurysmal bone cyst of the radial index sesamoid of the hand. The tumor was treated successfully by sesamoid bone resection.

Aneurysmal bone cyst and giant cell tumor of bone of the hand and distal radius

Aneurysmal bone cyst and giant cell tumor of bone have historically been considered benign lesions that can behave in locally aggressive fashion. The clinical and pathologic findings share some common characteristics. When considering a radiographic differential diagnosis, these entities are usually considered together. There are some very distinct differences in potential aggressiveness and in response to treatment. This report summarizes current knowledge regarding these lesions when they occur in the hand and outlines current treatment methods.

Recurrent aneurysmal bone cyst of the proximal phalanx treated with cryosurgery: a case report

A recurrent aneurysmal bone cyst of the proximal phalanx treated with curettage, cryosurgery, and bone grafting is presented. There is no evidence of recurrence after 5 years. Although cryosurgery is commonly used as an adjuvant for intralesional treatment for aneurysmal bone cyst, there have been no reports of its use for the treatment of a lesion arising in the hand.