The clinical presentation of an enchondroma depends on its size or extent and location. In general, an enchondroma is asymptomatic and therefore usually an incidental finding on radiography.
The following symptoms and complaints may indicate an enchondroma:
Main symptoms
- Local bulbous distension (swelling) of the affected bone – especially in the hand quickly visible from the outside.
- Pain usually occurs only with infraction (incomplete bone fracture) – especially with enchondromas in the finger phalanges (phalanges); pain can be an indication of malignant (malignant) degeneration
- If the epiphyseal joints are disturbed: lengthening, bending of the affected bones.
- Fractures (bone fractures) after minor trauma – due to thinning of the cortical bone (outer layer of bone).
- Restriction of mobility of the affected body part
Localization
Typical of primary bone tumors is that they can be assigned to a characteristic localization in addition to a specific age range. They arise clustered at the sites of most intense longitudinal growth (metaepiphyseal/articular area).
The following questions should be answered by diagnostic measures:
- Localization in the skeleton → Which bone is affected?
- Localization in the bone → epiphysis* (joint end of the bone (near the joint)), metaphysis* (transition from epiphysis to diaphysis), diaphysis* (long bone shaft), central, eccentric (not central), cortical (at the solid outer shell of the bone), extracortical, intraarticular (within the joint capsule).
Enchondroma is most commonly located in the diaphyses of the finger phalanges (phalanges), but also occurs in the metaphyses of the long tubular bones (femur (thigh bone), humerus (humerus)), pelvis and ribs.
* Example of the structure of a long bone: epiphysis – metaphysis – diaphysis – metaphysis – epiphysis.