title: Incidence, histopathologic analysis and distribution of tumours of the hand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this large collective and meticulous study of primary bone tumours and tumourous lesions of the hand was to enhance the knowledge about findings of traumatological radiographs and improve differential diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study reviewed data collected from 1976 until 2006 in our Bone Tumour Registry. The following data was documented: age, sex, radiological investigations, tumour location, histopathological features including type and dignity of the tumour, and diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The retrospective analysis yielded 631 patients with a mean age of 35.9 ± 19.2 years. The majority of primary hand tumours were found in the phalanges (69.7%) followed by 24.7% in metacarpals and 5.6% in the carpals. Only 10.6% of all cases were malignant. The major lesion type was cartilage derived at 69.1%, followed by bone cysts 11.3% and osteogenic tumours 8.7%. The dominant tissue type found in phalanges and metacarpals was of cartilage origin. Osteogenic tumours were predominant in carpal bones. Enchondroma was the most commonly detected tumour in the hand (47.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All primary skeletal tumours can be found in the hand and are most often of cartilage origin followed by bone cysts and osteogenic tumours. This study furthermore raises awareness about uncommon or rare tumours and helps clinicians to establish proper differential diagnosis, as the majority of detected tumours of the hand are asymptomatic and accidental findings on radiographs.
authors.forename: Maciej J K
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pogoda
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hövelborn
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zustin
authors.affiliation: Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr, 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. amling@uke.de.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amling
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barvencik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015831:Osteochondroma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D010017:Osteoma, Osteoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult