Acrometastases. A study of twenty-nine patients with osseous involvement of the hands and feet

Abstract

We studied the records of twenty-nine patients with forty-one metastatic lesions of the hand or foot. In five patients the lesions mimicked a benign condition, and inappropriate treatment was given. In eleven patients the acrometastases were the first indication of malignant disease, and four other patients had no known primary malignant lesion. Amputation of a phalanx, digit, or ray is recommended for most solitary phalangeal, metacarpal, or metatarsal lesions when the expected period of survival of the patient exceeds a few months.