A case of multiple simple bone cysts. With special reference to their etiology and treatment

We report a case of multiple, simple bone cysts in long tubular, short tubular, and flat bones. The internal pressure of the cysts and the oxygen tension of cyst fluid were measured simultaneously. These values were similar to those of typical solitary cysts in other patients. Curettage and bone graft onto the calcaneal cyst were effective, although steroid injection therapy into the metacarpal cyst had no effect. Piercing the ulnar and radial cysts a number of times was uniformly effective. These results may suggest that venous obstruction of the lesions play an important role in the etiology of multiple simple cysts, as shown in typical bone cysts. However, we could not exclude the possibility that simple bone cysts, solitary or multiple, represent some kind of secondary forms of other disorders, or that a simple bone cyst is a heterogeneous entity.