Benign fibrous histiocytoma of bone

The clinical, radiologic, and pathological features of eight cases of fibrohistiocytic bone lesions histologically identical to the nonossifying fibroma of childhood are presented. They differed from the childhood lesion in their clinical and radiological features. They occurred in adults, and were frequently associated with pain in the absence of complicating fracture. They were not confined to the metaphysis of long bones. When metaphyseal, the lesions also frequently showed a tendency to involve the epiphysis. Others occurred in the diaphysis of long bones, in the pelvis, and in a rib. Three recurred locally, but none has metastasized. Other fibrohistiocytic and fibroblastic tumours of bone, including malignant fibrous histiocytoma, giant cell tumour, fibrosarcoma, and desmoplastic fibroma can be differentiated on radiological and histological features, and hyperparathyroidism may need to be excluded by biochemical investigations.