Chondromyxoid fibroma of the foot and ankle: 40 years’ Scottish bone tumour registry experience

Ten cases of histologically proven chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) of the foot and ankle with a mean follow-up of 6.1 years were retrospectively reviewed using the Scottish Bone Tumour Registry. The patients' mean age was 19 years; there were six males and four females. The anatomical locations were five phalangeal, three metatarsal, one tarsal affecting body of os calcis and one distal tibial. The median delay in presentation was 4.5 months. The modes of presentation were pain only (n=4), painful lump (n=4) and painless lump (n=2). The typical radiological finding was an expansile, lobulated, cystic lesion. Cortical erosion was documented in 80% patients. In four cases, curettage alone was carried out, while five patients underwent curettage along with autogenous bone grafting. One patient with distal phalangeal CMF had a primary toe amputation. Two patients had recurrences 9 and 16 months after their initial curettage. Both of them were males with proximal phalangeal CMF, associated with cortical erosion. Foot and phalangeal CMF initially treated with curettage only should be closely followed up, as we observed a 20% recurrence rate within a 2-year period. Cases featuring cortical erosion require thorough curettage and may require autogenous bone grafting to prevent fracture