MR imaging of symptomatic osteochondromas with pathological correlation.
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the value of MR imaging in the diagnosis and differentiation of the various symptomatic complications of osteochondromas, providing pathological correlation with emphasis on the usefulness of MR imaging as a single imaging modality in these patients.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed all MR examinations of clinically symptomatic osteochondromas (30 patients) performed at our institution between March 1990 and October 1997.


METHODS
Thirty patients had clinically symptomatic osteochondromas during the study period. Twenty patients were male and 10 were female. There were five cases of multiple osteochondromatosis. Pathological correlation was available in 24 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Symptomatic complications included fracture (7%), osseous deformity limiting range of motion (23%), vascular injury (7%), neurological compromise (10%), bursa formation (27%) and malignant transformation (27%). MR imaging was able to diagnose or suggest the etiology for the clinical symptomatology in all cases, demonstrating that it is an ideal imaging modality in the diagnostic evaluation of symptomatic complications of osteochondromas and often avoids the need for further imaging.
Joint Department of Medical Imaging, Mount Sinai Hospital, The Toronto Hospital, and Princess Margaret Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
M
M
Mehta
L M
LM
White
T
T
Knapp
R A
RA
Kandel
J S
JS
Wunder
R S
RS
Bell
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D015831:Osteochondroma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies