Aneurysmal bone cyst.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to discuss the natural history, treatment, and outcomes for patients with aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC).


METHODS
Review of the pertinent literature.


RESULTS
ABCs account for 1% to 2% of all primary bone tumors, usually present in the first 2 decades of life, and exhibit a slight female preponderance. The majority of patients are treated with curettage with local control rates ranging from approximately 70% to 90%. Almost all patients with recurrences are salvaged by one or more additional operations. A small subset of patients is treated with marginal or wide excision and almost all are locally controlled. A few patients with incompletely resectable, aggressive, and/or recurrent ABCs are treated with low-dose (26-30 Gy) radiotherapy (RT) and are locally controlled in approximately 90% of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The mainstay of treatment is surgery and most patients are cured with one or more operations. A small subset of patients with incompletely resectable, aggressive, and/or recurrent ABCs may be cured with low-dose RT.
Mendenhall
William M
WM
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA. mendewil@shands.ufl.edu
Zlotecki
Robert A
RA
Gibbs
C Parker
CP
Reith
John D
JD
Scarborough
Mark T
MT
Mendenhall
Nancy Price
NP
D017824:Bone Cysts, Aneurysmal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D003475:Curettage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome