Musculoskeletal tumors

Abstract

Pediatric musculoskeletal surgical oncology encompasses a wide array of benign and malignant soft tissue and skeletal tumors, as well as lesions that can mimic a tumor. Pediatric malignant tumors are relatively rare in the pediatric population with only 900 soft tissue and 700 skeletal sarcomas from over 50 different histiological subtypes being diagnosed yearly in the United States. The clinical presentation is highly variable and can be acute or insidious, associated with pain or as a painless mass, dramatically with a pathologic fracture or subtly with an incidental radiographic finding. The key to successful treatment of a musculoskeletal tumor is prompt and accurate diagnosis. A delay in diagnosis is a pitfall that can limit treatment options and worsen outcomes, while an overly aggressive workup for a benign lesion can lead to unnecessary tests or unwarranted surgery. Familiarity with the basic principles of musculoskeletal oncology allows integration of clinical, radiographic, and pathology data to optimize the probability of obtaining the correct diagnosis early.