Tumorous Conditions of the Hand: A Retrospective Review of 402 Cases

Abstract

Objective: Knowledge concerning treatment and care of hand lesions is often based on small case series, case reports and a few large general case series. The aim of this study is to present our experience with hand tumors' and tumor-like lesions' incidence, age range and localizations.

Material and method: Between 2006-2016, 402 patients operated and histopathologically diagnosed with bone and soft tissue tumorous conditions of the hand were evaluated retrospectively.

Results: Three hundred sixty one out of 402 cases (89.8%) were soft tissue tumors and 41 cases (10.2%) were osseous tumors of the hand. A total of 10 malignant tumors (2.5%) were encountered in the hand. The average age of the patients was 41.9 years (ranged from 1 to 83 years). Among 361 soft tissue tumors, only 6 cases (1.6%) were malignant and they were squamous cell tumors (n=5) and synovial sarcoma (n=1). The most common soft tissue pathology was ganglion cyst (n=125). The most common bone tumor was enchondroma, diagnosed in 26 patients (6.4% of all patients). Primary malignant bone tumors were extremely rare in the hand; one osteosarcoma and one chondrosarcoma were reported. Metastatic tumors to the hand were seen in two patients; and they were lung carcinoma and chondrosarcoma metastasis.

Conclusion: Up-date knowledge and a thorough understanding of the nature and demographic characteristics of the tumorous conditions of the hand are crucial for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.