Osteolysis of hand bones due to metastatic deposits from colon cancer--a case report.

Abstract

Despite the availability of an efficient screening protocol review, colon cancer is a leading health problem of the world population. At the time of diagnosis about 25% of cases have distant metastases. Distant metastases are most frequently metastases in the liver, lungs, brain, but they are rare in the bones. An early diagnosis of secondary deposits in the bones of the hand can be very difficult. The symptoms are subclinical or similar to other bone diseases. They appear in the advanced disease, and treatment is palliative. The treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery) is determined according to the general condition of the patient and the localization of the lesion. Radiotherapy can reduce tumor mass and reduce pain especially among patients with multiple lesions or inoperable ones. The aim of this paper was to: (1) present a case of secondary deposits of adenocarcinoma of the colon in the hand bones, (2) present the incidence, (3) give differential diagnoses and (4) describe the air treatment by unconventional regime of fractionation. The approach to the treatment of metastatic hands must be multi-disciplinary including an orthopedist, radiologist, oncologist and pathologist. It is important to know the importance of early recognition of these lesions.