A giant cell tumor is usually asymptomatic and therefore usually an incidental finding on X-ray.
The following symptoms and complaints may indicate a giant cell tumor (osteoclastoma):
Main symptoms
- Joint pain, localized pain on exertion
- Local, visible swelling
- Restriction of mobility of the affected body part / joint
- Effusion in the adjacent joint
- Fractures (bone fractures) after minor trauma – osteolytic tumors break down bone substance; generally, the bone loses strength due to the tumor
Localization
Typical for primary bone tumors is that they can be assigned to a characteristic localization in addition to a certain 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).
The giant cell tumor often occurs in the epiphysis of the long tubular bones – close to the joint, often in the knee joint region -, skull, ischium, as well as hand bones. In the majority of cases, it is found in the extremities, especially in the distal (away from the center of the body) femur (thigh bone), proximal (toward the center of the body) tibia (shin bone). It is usually located eccentrically (not centrally) in the bone.
* Example of the structure of a long bone: epiphysis – metaphysis – diaphysis – metaphysis – epiphysis.
