Low Grade Cartilage Tumors eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: Cartilage tumors vary in severity from benign enchondroma to low-grade malignant chondrosarcoma to the highest-grade dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma. Chondrosarcoma is the second most common primary malignant bone tumor, accounting for 10-20% of all primary bony malignancies (Healey, 1986; Rizzo, 2001). Enchondroma, which consists of benign endosteal cartilage, is much more common than chondrosarcoma. The true incidence of cartilage tumors is unknown because many are discovered incidentally. Distinguishing benign cartilage tumors from low-grade malignant cartilage tumors is often challenging, but there are some established principles regarding location, size, and pain, as well as characteristics on radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Synonyms and related keywords: chondrosarcomas, enchondromas, osteosarcoma, multiple enchondromatosis, Ollier disease, Ollier's disease
Anthony E Johnson, MD & Josefine Heim-Hall, MD