Chondrosarcoma of distal phalanx with imaging study; a report of rare case with review of the literature

Vorachai Sirikulchayanonta, M.D.* Suphaneewan Jaovisidha, M.D.** Adisak Nartthanarung, MD.***
* Department of Pathology, ** Department of Radiology,
***Department of Orthopaedic, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital,
Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400. Thailand.
Correspondence: Vorachai Sirikulchayanonta, M.D.
Department of Pathology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Email: vorachai7@yahoo.com Tel. 662-2011432; Fax.662-3547266
Received: January 6 2013; Accepted : 5 August 2013.

ABSTRACT

Chondrosarcoma of distal phalanx is extremely rare and to our best knowledge there was only one case having magnetic resonance ( MR ) imaging study. We report a case of 56-year-old woman developing chondrosarcoma of distal phalanx of the left ring finger. The radiographic and imaging studies highly suggested chondrosarcoma and amputation of distal phalanx was performed. The histologic findings showed marked proliferation and uneven distribution of chondrocytes with definite invasion of host bone into adjacent soft tissue and confirmed the diagnosis of chondrosarcoma. She was still uneventful after five years of follow-up. Phalangeal chondrosarcoma, unlike central chondrosarcomas affecting other bones, is usually difficult to make diagnosis since the lesion at this particular location usually creates controversy in differentiating from enchondromas which are much more common in both histologic and radiologic view points.