Chondroblastoma of a metacarpal. Report of a case and review of the literature

Abstract

A 25-year-old white man had a tender mass on the dorsum of his hand. Routine examination and radiographs revealed a benign lytic neoplasm in the base of the ring metacarpal. The primary treatment consisted of curettage and cancellous bone grafting. The biopsy diagnosis was chondroblastoma. The patient is asymptomatic and has a normal radiograph after a follow-up period of one year. This unusual tumor has seldom been reported at sites distal to the wrist. The report of this chondroblastoma serves as a reminder that not all benign lytic processes in the hand are enchondromas.