TITLE:
Uncommon Bone Metastases of the Hand
AUTHORS:
Sarah Houimli, Mohamed Amine Selmene
KEYWORDS:
Hand, Bones, Metastases, Surgery
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Orthopedics,
Vol.10 No.12,
December
23,
2020
ABSTRACT: Bone metastases are common and occur in several types of cancer. But when they occur in rare localizations, such as in the hand, they can be the source of a diagnostic and prognostic problem. We report two cases of bone metastases occurring in the hand. The objective of our work is to make the reader think of the diagnosis of metastases in front of a bone lesion in the hand despite its rarity and its occurrence in a patient without pathological history or is followed-up for a cancer which was declared cured or under treatment. Both patients presented with painful swelling, the first one at the 3rd finger and the other one at the 3rd metacarpal. In the first case, bone metastasis revealed the existence of the cancer of origin, and in the second, it was diagnosed in a known patient with cancer. Bone biopsy and histological examination confirmed the diagnosis. Treatment at this advanced stage of the cancerous disease is almost always palliative because, in part, of the aggressiveness of bone metastases. A rapid diagnosis of acrometastases is mandatory in order to avoid a delay in treatment. They are characterized by a pejorative prognosis. Pain control is essential in these types of patients.