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Hip pain as a presenting symptom of acetabular metastasis
The British Journal of Surgery
|February 1, 1976
Insights
Acetabular metastasis, a hip pain complication from colon adenocarcinoma, occurred in three patients. Diagnostic imaging, including radiography and gamma scans, often failed to detect these secondary tumors.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Colorectal adenocarcinoma is a common malignancy.
- Metastasis can occur in various sites, including bone.
- Acetabular metastases can present with hip pain.
Observation:
- Three patients previously treated for colon adenocarcinoma developed hip pain.
- The hip pain was attributed to acetabular metastases.
- Pre-operative diagnostic imaging was frequently inconclusive.
Findings:
- Only one of the three patients showed radiographic changes suggestive of metastasis.
- Abnormal gamma-scan findings were also infrequent in detecting acetabular lesions.
- This highlights a diagnostic challenge in identifying bone metastases from colon cancer.
Implications:
- Early detection of acetabular metastases is crucial for timely intervention.
- Advanced imaging techniques may be necessary for accurate diagnosis.
- Further research is needed to improve diagnostic strategies for skeletal metastases in colorectal cancer patients.
Abstract:
Three case histories are presented in which each patient developed pain in the hip which was caused by an acetabular metastasis. Resection of an adenocarcinoma of the colon had been performed previously and in only 1 patient were radiographic changes or abnormal gamma-scan pictures obtained.