title: Enchondromas in children: imaging appearance with pathological correlation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Enchondromas are benign lesions that may present with nonspecific features on imaging in children. Correlation of histology with imaging findings is often required to make the final diagnosis of a benign lesion. The aim of this study was to review imaging and pathological findings of enchondromas in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Imaging examinations of 12 enchondromas in 11 patients (median age 14 years) were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging evaluation included an assessment of lesion size, relationship to the growth plate, mineralization, matrix and periosteal reaction, intrinsic MR signal characteristics, and intraosseous and soft-tissue edema. Pathological findings were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lesions were located in the phalanx in 33% (4 out of 12), metacarpal in 25% (3 out of 12), femur in 33% (4 out of 12) and tibia in 8% cases (1 out of 12). The mean size was 28 mm (range, 11-70 mm). Matrix mineralization in a typical "rings-and-arcs" pattern was observed in 20% of the lesions with available radiographs/CT (2 out of 10). Lesions were expansive with endosteal scalloping in 75% of cases (9 out 12) and contacted the growth plate in 50% of cases (6 out of 12). All enchondromas in which MR imaging was available (5 out of 5) demonstrated typical cartilaginous matrix of lobules of high T2 signal, low T1 signal, and peripheral enhancement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enchondromas in children are relatively large lesions, with frequent endosteal scalloping and rare matrix mineralization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Yawkey 6E 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bierry
authors.forename: Darcy A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: G Petur
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Ambrose J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torriani
authors.forename: Miriam A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bredella
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002812:Chondroma / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult