title: Osseous tumours of the hand: a review of 99 cases in 20 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumors involving the hand skeleton are rare. However, a basic knowledge of hand tumors is necessary for every clinician. This is due to the importance of distinguishing typical benign tumors from life or limb threatening malignant ones.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a review of 99 cases of osseous hand tumors presented to the department of orthopedic surgery, Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran, from December 1990 to February 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-one cases were benign osseous tumors of the hand and eight tumors were malignant which four of them were considered as primary and four considered as metastatic type. The most common benign tumors were enchondroma and osteoid osteoma. Other benign tumors were epidermoid bone cyst, giant cell tumor of the bone, aneurysmal bone cyst, osteoblastoma, and osteochondroma. Primary malignant tumors were extremely rare and we have reported two chondrosarcomas, one osteosarcoma and one Ewing's sarcoma involving the hand skeleton.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that the history, physical examination, laboratory and radiographic data as well as clinicians' knowledge of specific hand tumors are required for the best management strategy. New techniques could lead to earlier diagnosis, prevent complications and indentify the most effective type of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Mahmoud Farzan MD, Parviz Ahangar MD, Hamed Mazoochy MD, Mohammad Vahedian Ardakani MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery Imam-Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farzan
authors.affiliation: Mahmoud Farzan MD, Parviz Ahangar MD, Hamed Mazoochy MD, Mohammad Vahedian Ardakani MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery Imam-Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Parviz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ahangar
authors.affiliation: Mahmoud Farzan MD, Parviz Ahangar MD, Hamed Mazoochy MD, Mohammad Vahedian Ardakani MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery Imam-Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamed
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mazoochy
authors.affiliation: Mahmoud Farzan MD, Parviz Ahangar MD, Hamed Mazoochy MD, Mohammad Vahedian Ardakani MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery Imam-Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Vahedian
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Ardakani
keywords: Benign bone tumors; Hand tumors; Malignant bone tumors; Surgical management