What Is Meant by an Enchondroma?
An enchondroma is a type of benign tumor of bones that usually starts from the cartilage. Cartilages are the connective that is responsible for developing the bones. Cartilages play a vital part in bone growth. There are several types of cartilage found in the body, but enchondroma usually affects the cartilage that is present inside the bone in line with it. Enchondroma is often found in long thin bones of feet and hands. It may also be found in the humerus (upper arm bone), femur (thigh bone), and tibia (lower leg bone). Enchondroma may affect one or more cartilages causing multiple tumors. Some medical conditions may have multiple tumors in Maffucci syndrome and Ollier disease. Enchondroma is the most common type of hand tumor that may affect both men and women of any age but most commonly between 10 and 20 years of age. Treatment of enchondromas is very necessary as it has the tendency to become malignant tumors if left untreated.
What Are the Causes of an Enchondroma?
An enchondroma is formed by an idiopathic cause, meaning its exact cause is unknown. However, some of the studies may describe that enchondromas may be caused due to overgrowth of the cartilage that is in line with the bone end, or it may be due to persistent growth of embryonic cartilage.
What Are the Symptoms of Enchondromas?
In most cases, people usually will not experience any symptoms of enchondroma. Only a few people may experience symptoms. The symptoms may vary for each person. Some of the common symptoms of enchondromas are:
-
Pain in the hand. The pain may be due to an enlarged tumor or if the affected bone gets weak. This may sometimes lead to a fracture of bone in the hand.
-
Increase in the size of the affected fingers due to enlargement of the tumor.
-
Reduced bone growth in the affected area.
-
Severe bone deformities that cause pain may be seen in people with Maffucci syndrome and Ollier disease.
-
In some cases, environmental factors like chemical exposure and radiation exposure may also cause enchondromas.
The symptoms of enchondromas may also mimic the symptoms of other medical conditions. So, it is essential to reach out to healthcare professionals to diagnose the condition.
How Are Enchondromas Diagnosed?
The doctors perform physical examinations on the first visit to diagnose enchondromas. Sometimes doctors may diagnose it with a fracture in the hands due to enchondromas. In addition to the proper physical examination and complete medical history, the doctors may recommend some tests, which include:
-
X- Rays: It is used to see the internal images of the bones. Enchondromas appear as small, dark spots in the center of the bones. The X-rays of enchondromas contain white spots in arcs and ring patterns. These white spots indicate that the tumor contains cartilage.
-
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Scan and Computed Tomography (CT) Scan: These scans help in showing a complete picture of the tumor, and it also shows bone masses, bone erosion, and Inflammation in the bone.
-
Radionuclide Bone Scans: This scan injects a radioactive dye into the body through veins. This radionuclide test lights up the tumor in the bones.
How Are Enchondromas Treated?
The doctors usually decide on treatment for enchondromas by observing the age, medical history, overall health, disease extent, patients' tolerance for specific procedures, medications, therapies, etc. If the enchondromas do not cause pain, the doctors may not recommend any treatment. Instead, they will keep on following whether the tumor grows, and they may observe the tumors with advanced imaging techniques. Multiple enchondromas may weaken the bones and lead to fractures. In such cases, the doctors may recommend two treatments which include
-
Surgery - The surgeons may recommend a curettage. In this surgical procedure, the surgeon will scarp the tumor out of the bone by using a device called curettage. If once the lesion is removed, it will not reoccur. If there is a fracture, the surgeon may wait for the fracture to heal and then proceed with the curettage procedure.
-
Bone Grafting - After the curettage procedure is completed, the surgeon may use bone grafts to fill the bone cavity, which will help to stabilize the bones. A bone graft is usually taken from the other bone of the body or from the donor. Sometimes surgeons use artificial bone grafts to fill the bone cavity and to stabilize the bone.
Recovery time after enchondroma surgery mainly depends on the extent of the disease and treatment time. If the person does not have an associated fracture, then they make take up to three weeks to recover after enchondroma surgery. If there is a fracture, it may take about seven to eight weeks to recover after the surgery.
What Is the Prognosis for Enchondromas?
If the enchondromas are not painful, they do not need removal surgery. If the person has a single enchondroma and it is surgically removed from their hand or foot, then the prognosis will be good. Enchondromas do not reoccur once they are surgically removed. If the enchondroma affects the main bones like the humerus, tibia, and femur, the people may have a higher risk, and the prognosis will be poor. People with multiple enchondromas may have a higher risk of developing malignant tumors, which leads to poor prognosis. It also requires immediate surgical removal of the tumor.
Conclusion:
Enchondroma is a benign condition that arises from the cartilage. It mostly affects the cartilage that is in the center of the bones. It does not require treatment if it is single and causes no pain. If the enchondroma affects multiple bones, it may need immediate removal of the tumor as it has the tendency to progress to a malignant cancerous lesion. So, it is essential to see the healthcare professionals as soon as the symptoms appear and get the treatment. It is also very essential to get an accurate diagnosis as the symptoms of enchondromas resemble other medical conditions.
