[Ollier disease: benign tumours with risk of malignant transformation. A review of 17 cases]

Abstract

Aim: To review Ollier disease, an uncommon disease, in order to understand the clinical symptoms, diagnosis, correct treatment, and risk factors in order to prevent malignant transformation.

Materials and methods: Seventeen cases of Ollier disease were treated between 1976 and 2006. The variables studied included: age at diagnosis and onset of malignant transformation, location of the lesion, family association with other tumours, radiological findings, treatment for the different lesions, metastatic lesions and survival. We excluded patients with Chondrosarcoma without previous diagnosis of Ollier disease. All malignant transformations were assessed by histopathology studies and radiological images.

Results: We include 16 cases of Ollier's and 1 of Maffucci's syndrome. The median age at diagnosis for patients having malignant transformation was 45 years, whereas the average age at diagnosis for patient without progression to malignancy was 11 years. Pathological fractures, dysmetria and deformities led to the diagnosis in young people. Benign lesions were treated with minor surgery. There were five malignancy transformations in four patients (23.5%), with the distal femur being the most frequent location for transformation to grade I chondrosarcoma. Surgery was the treatment in all of them. We found no family association with other tumours.

Conclusions: Multiple enchondromatosis is a benign disease with a high risk of malignant transformation above 40 years old. Bone scintigraphy is the best tool for detecting multiple lesions and malignant transformation. Radical surgery is the only way to improve survival, and this is the reason why early diagnosis is essential.