title: Giant cell tumour of the femur in a 9-year-old girl, resulting in severe leg length discrepancy.
abstract: Giant cell tumour of bone (GCTB) is a rare benign tumour noted before physeal closure. GCTB cases in patients younger than 10 years are especially uncommon. The authors report the case of a 9-year-old girl with a GCTB of the distal femur. After initial intralesional excision and curettage of the tumour, local recurrence occurred, which needed two more additional surgeries to treat. The primary tumour and the local relapse invaded the growth plate of the right distal femur, leading to growth disturbance of the femur and requiring leg lengthening using Ilizarov apparatus. Surgeons should note the possibility of this rare condition while treating radiographic lytic lesions even in skeletally immature patients. The occurrence of late limb length discrepancy would be more likely in younger patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Kanagawa Children's Medical Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oba
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Kanagawa Children's Medical Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Machida
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018212:Giant Cell Tumor of Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007870:Leg Length Inequality / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation