Giant solitary osteochondroma arising from the fifth metatarsal bone: a case report

Accounting for 20% to 50% of all benign forms, solitary osteochondroma is the most common bone tumor. The long bones of the lower extremity are most frequently affected, whereas the small bones of the hands, feet, pelvis, scapula, and spine are less common locations. Osteochondromas are benign osseous neoplasms with a distinct hyaline cartilage cap originating from the physis, and they cease to grow with skeletal maturity. Treatment of osteochondroma is usually conservative, unless symptoms, usually pain, are progressive or the lesion demonstrates rapid or new growth, or if enlargement after skeletal maturation is noted or malignant transformation is suspected. In this report, we describe the case of an adult with a giant, symptomatic osteochondroma localized to the fifth metatarsal. The lesion was treated with excision, and after more than 2 years of follow-up, no evidence of recurrence was noted. This case demonstrated that, despite the benign nature of the lesion, a large osteochondroma could localize to a metatarsal.