The giant aggressive chondroma: A rare entity, a difficult approach

Carmine Zoccali; Jacopo Baldi; Vincenzo Anelli; Alessio Annovazzi; Alessandra Scotto di Uccio; Francesco Arrigoni; Antonio Barile; Carlo Masciocchi

doi:10.1016/j.jor.2019.09.001

The giant aggressive chondroma: A rare entity, a difficult approach

J Orthop. 2019 Sep 11:18:181-184. doi: 10.1016/j.jor.2019.09.001. eCollection 2020 Mar-Apr.

Authors

Carmine Zoccali¹, Jacopo Baldi¹, Vincenzo Anelli², Alessio Annovazzi³, Alessandra Scotto di Uccio¹, Francesco Arrigoni⁴, Antonio Barile⁴, Carlo Masciocchi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Oncological Orthopaedics Department, IRCCS - Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
² Radiology Department, IRCCS - Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
³ Nuclear Medicine, IRCCS - Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Diagnostic Unit, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, via Vetoio, Coppito, 67010, L'Aquila, AQ, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: enchondromas rarely exceed 3-6 cm in long bones. Although the risk of developing secondary chondrosarcoma has been reported up to 4% in solitary lesions, it is not known if size represents a risk factor for transformation.

Objective: to describe three exceptional cases of enchondromas of the entire femur whereof one dedifferentiated in chondrosarcoma.

Results: two patients present stable disease at 5 and 6 years of follow-up; the third, already diagnosed with a dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma, died 14 months after the index surgery for systemic disease.

Conclusion: based on these observations, our hypothesis is that lesion size is an important risk factor for malignant transformation.

Keywords: Atypic chondromatous tumor; CS, chondrosarcoma; EC, Enchondroma; Giant aggressive enchondroma; Secondary chondrosarcoma.