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Case Reports
. 2021 Mar;11(3):29-32.
doi: 10.13107/jocr.2021.v11.i03.2074.

Giant Cell Tumor (GCT) of the Third Metatarsal in an Elderly Patient: A Rare Case Report

Neetin P Mahajan  1 , Amey Sadar  1 , Prasanna Kumar G S  1 , Ankit Marfatia  1 , Sunny M Sangma  1 , Pranay Kondewar  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Giant Cell Tumor (GCT) of the Third Metatarsal in an Elderly Patient: A Rare Case Report

Neetin P Mahajan et al. J Orthop Case Rep. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Introduction: Giant cell tumour (GCT) is a benign osteolytic, locally aggressive lesion. Seen in young adults at the epiphysis. The most common site is long bones (85-90%). GCT of the metatarsal in elderly patients is very rare.

Case report: A 60-year-old male came with complaints of pain and swelling over right foot dorsal aspect since for the last past one 1 year. There was no history of trauma. X-ray foot showed an osteolytic lesion in the right third metatarsal with thinning of the cortex. MRI and fine-needle aspiration cytology confirmed the diagnosis of GCT. The patient was managed by excision with the 3rd ray amputation. At present, 1.5 years follow-up, the patient is having no pain, difficulty in walking and no evidence of clinical and radiological recurrence .

Conclusion: Giant cell tumours could also present at uncommon sites, and they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of lytic lesions of the metatarsals. Excision with ray amputation of the involved metatarsal helps in complete removal of the lesion and helps in early weight-bearing. This is the viable alternative treatment option in managing the metatarsal GCT in elderly patients.

Keywords: Giant cell tumour; ray amputation; third metatarsal.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: Nil

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pre-operative clinical image.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pre-operative X-ray showing lytic lesion in the 3rd metatarsal.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Intraoperative picture showing the tumor mass after superficial dissection and third toe removal
Figure 4
Figure 4
Intraoperative picture showing the tumor mass after separation of extensor tendons.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The excised tumor mass measuring around 6 cm in length.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Immediate post-operative X-ray showing complete removal of tumor mass with the 3rd ray amputation.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Histopathology picture suggestive of giant cell tumor.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Post-operative clinical picture after 1.5 years.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Follow-up X-ray showing no recurrence with no other lesions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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