Chondromyxoid fibroma: a rarely encountered and puzzling tumor

Chondromyxoid fibroma is an uncommon bone neoplasm, accounting in our series for less than 1% of all connective tissue tumors. The tumor is more common in males, and located mostly in the metaphyseal areas of the lower extremity. The tumor is benign and there have been no reports of metastases. The method of treatment that has been used since the initial identification of the tumor has been curettage, which has a 20-25% recurrence rate. In our 30 patients, the average length of followup was 11 years (range, 1-29 years. Most of the tumors were in the pelvis, proximal tibia, distal femur, and foot. Tumors that were treated with curettage alone did less well than those that were packed with allograft bone or polymethylmethacrylate. Tumors treated by excision did not recur. The most difficult problem with chondromyxoid fibroma is pathologic identity because it often is confused with more aggressive tumors that may metastasize.