Parents, be aware of benign tumors that are prone to occur in children, namely Osteochondroma. Osteochondroma is the most common type of benign bone tumor. Very rarely, this tumor can turn into a malignant condition later on.
Here are some important things about benign tumors that you need to know.Parentsknow.
Definition of Osteochondroma
Quoting fromHopkins Medicine, the name of this disease is taken from the word “Osteo” which means bone, “chondro” which means cartilage and “oma” which means tumor.
Osteochondroma (OC) is a noncancerous bone tumor that develops as an overgrowth of cartilage and bone, and most commonly occurs at the ends of bones near growth plates in children. Growth plates are discs of cartilage tissue that eventually harden into bone.
OCs grow outward from the bone line and vary between 1 and 10 cm in size. They may have a visible stalk and a rounded cap-like tip, like a mushroom or cauliflower. Most often, they occur in the long bones of the leg, pelvis, or shoulder blade.
This condition develops in childhood and usually stops when their skeleton stops growing.
Type
Source: Freepik
According toCleveland Clinic, osteochondroma occurs in two forms, namely as an individual growth (solitary), or as a multiple growth (multiple). Both are two different conditions.
Solitary Osteochondroma (Osteocartilaginous Exostosis)
This is the most common type of osteochondroma. Individual solitary osteochondromas often cause no symptoms. Your doctor may only find OC incidentally while checking for other conditions.
Solitary osteochondroma is not cancerous, so it does not spread to other parts of the body. The cause is still unknown. Researchers suspect the condition may be genetic, but this is not well understood.
Double Osteochondroma (Multiple Osteochondromas)
This condition occurs in about 15% of OC cases. These multiple growths are usually the result of a genetic condition. However, they can also occur randomly (about 30% of the time).
The inherited condition is called hereditary multiple osteochondromas or hereditary multiple exostoses (exostoses are external growths of bone). Multiple osteochondromas are also not cancerous, but they pose a greater risk of complications, usually by interfering with the normal growth of a child’s bones.
Symptom
Often, people with OC have no symptoms at all. When they do, they may look like other health problems, making it difficult to diagnose without further testing.
If your child has osteochondroma, chances are he or she will not feel anything at all. However,ParentsYou may find a small, hard lump under the skin, close to the bone. Keep in mind that each child may experience symptoms of this condition differently, depending on the size and location of the tumor.
Following are the most common symptoms of osteochondroma:
- A hard lump, but it is not painful and does not move.
- Pain in nearby muscles
- Numbness or tingling
- Height is shorter than children of the same age
- One leg or arm that is longer than the other
- Prone to excessive pressure or irritation during exercise
- Changes in blood flow
In more severe cases, some OCs can affect normal bone growth in children. Children with this condition may:
- Unusually short in stature.
- Having crooked limbs.
- Having arms or legs that are longer than others.
- Having a displaced hip joint (hip dysplasia).
Causes of Osteochondroma
The exact cause of osteochondroma is still unknown. This condition is not caused by injury or other external factors.
OC is thought to be linked to a gene called EXT 1 in the body. How defects in this gene cause tumors is currently poorly understood. Researchers are investigating this further.
Frequency of Occurrence
Source: Freepik
Osteochondroma is the most common benign bone tumor accounting for 20-50% of benign bone tumors and 9% of all bone tumors.
The incidence of OC is approximately 0.9 per 100,000 individuals in the general population. The incidence tends to decrease with age, with the average age at diagnosis being between 10 and 13 years.
Risk Factors
A person’s chance or risk of developing osteochondroma will be higher if:
- Entering childhood or adolescence.
- Male gender.
- Having someone else in the family with the same problem (history of OC in the family)
- Having multiple OCs on the bones. This is a genetic and rare case.
Diagnosis
The doctor will begin the examination by taking your medical history and performing a physical exam. Generally, the doctor will ask about your symptoms, and if they suspect osteochondroma, they will suggest imaging tests. These tests include:
- X-ray: This test uses invisible electromagnetic energy rays to create images of tissues, bones, and organs.
- CT scan: This test uses X-rays and computer technology to create imaging pictures of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of every part of the body, including bones, muscles, fat, and organs. It is more detailed than a regular X-ray.
- MRI: This test uses a large magnet, radio frequencies, and a computer to create detailed images of organs and structures inside the body.
Most OCs will be clearly visible on X-ray. If more detail is needed, an MRI or CT scan may be needed.
Osteochondroma Complications
Complications associated with osteochondroma include bone deformity, fracture, bursa formation with or without bursitis, vascular disorders, neurologic symptoms, and malignant transformation.
It is very rare for osteochondroma to become malignant . However, your doctor may want to keep an eye on it just in case. Here are some signs that OC is developing into malignant cancer:
- The tumor causes unexplained pain.
- Tumors continue to grow after the skeleton stops growing.
- Cover tumors more than 1.5 cm thick in adult patients.
Handling
Source: Freepik
In most cases of OC, no treatment is required other than regular monitoring of the tumor to identify changes or complications.
Most cases of solitary osteochondroma do not require any treatment. However, your doctor may perform periodic X-rays to track its growth. In most cases, your child will not need surgery, but your doctor may recommend surgery to remove it if the following symptoms occur:
- Causing pain or functional problems by putting pressure on nearby tissues, blood vessels or nerves.
- Inhibits normal bone growth.
- Possible progression to malignancy.
This surgery is usually a simple procedure. The surgery is performed under local anesthesia and the surgeon will make a small incision over the tumor and remove it at the level of the bone.
Most people can resume normal activities immediately after this surgery. In some cases, your doctor may recommend wearing a sling or crutches to limit movement or to keep the bone from putting weight on it for a few weeks.
If the OC has been completely removed, the tumor should not grow back. However, in very young children with multiple osteochondromas, there is a 5% chance of a new tumor growing in the same place. The OC will not grow back once the child’s bones stop growing.
Children with multiple osteochondromas will be monitored more regularly to track old and new tumors and how they affect their bone growth. Doctors may recommend removing tumors that are interfering with bone growth. In some cases, they may recommend additional surgery to repair the bone.
Osteochondroma Prevention
Because the cause of solitary osteochondroma is still unknown, doctors have not been able to find an effective way to prevent it.
Hereditary multiple osteochondromas are a genetic condition, which does not go away. However, some solitary osteochondromas have been known to spontaneously regress and reabsorb into the bone. Scientists do not know why this happens.
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Osteochondroma is a noncancerous tumor, aka a benign tumor that tends to be harmless. It may be scary to hear that your child has a tumor, but not all tumors are cancerous. Hope this information is helpful!
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
