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Metastatic malignancy of the hand.
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
|May 1, 1975
Summary
Metastatic hand malignancies are rare, often misdiagnosed as infections, and typically indicate a poor prognosis. This case highlights a rare instance of metastasis to the finger phalanx, ultimately requiring amputation.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Pathology
Background:
- Metastatic malignancies to the hand are uncommon, frequently presenting as infections.
- These late-stage metastases often carry a grave prognosis, necessitating surgical intervention like amputation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a rare case of metastatic breast cystosarcoma phylloides to the distal phalanx of the hand.
- To review the pathological, clinical, and radiographic characteristics of such rare metastatic lesions.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a patient with a history of radical mastectomy for breast cystosarcoma phylloides.
- Clinical observation of a lesion on the left ring finger initially diagnosed as whitlow.
- Literature review on metastatic hand malignancies.
Main Results:
- The metastatic lesion to the distal phalanx evolved over 45 days.
- The lesion was initially misdiagnosed as a whitlow (infection).
- Amputation was the eventual treatment for the metastatic hand lesion.
Conclusions:
- Metastasis to the hand, particularly to the phalanges, is exceptionally rare.
- Early and accurate diagnosis of hand metastases is crucial, despite challenges in differentiation from infections.
- Surgical amputation may be required for advanced metastatic disease in the hand.