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Osteochondroma
Etiology

Unknown.
Pathogenesis

Believed to be the result of displaced fragments of the growth plate causing a displaced epiphysis to grow in an anomalous position.,
Epidemiology

Three times more common in males than females.
General Gross Description

Also known as an exostosis.
Benign lesion composed of a stalk and a rounded bony lesion, capped by cartilage.
Most freqently seen near the ends of long bones.
Irregularly mushroom shaped lesions, from 1-20 centimeters in size.
•Examples:
Exterior surface of an osteochondroma Attachment surface of an osteochondroma Osteochondroma - bisected Exterior and cut surfaces of an osteochondroma
General Microscopic Description

External surface is made of cartilage.
Inner portion composed of bone, often with a marrow cavity.
Both the bone and the cartilage are histologically benign.
•Examples:
Clinical Correlation

Common lesion(s).
Can occur as a solitary lesion or as one of multiple lesions.
Individuals with multiple hereditary exostosis, an autosomal dominant hereditary disease, can have several hundred of these lesions.
Present as slow growing masses which can be painful.
Usually discovered in young adulthood.
Usually stop growing when the patient reaches adult height.
In patients with multiple hereditary exostosis, these lesions can be detected in childhood.
Almost always benign; however, in patients with hereditary multiple exostosis, one or more of these lesions can undergo sarcomatous transformation.
References

Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th edition. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 1237

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Osteochondroma
Synopsis by: T.V. Rajan M.D. Ph.D. (T1X000M92100)[66]
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