Case Reports
Isolated Metastatic Lesion of the Trapezium
Am J Orthop. 2008 August;37(8):E144-E145
Author and Disclosure Information
R. Glenn Gaston, MD, Gary M. Lourie, MD, and C. Cullen Scott, MD
Dr. Gaston is with OrthoCarolina, and Chief of Hand Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Dr. Lourie is with the Hand and Upper Extremity Center, Atlanta, Georgia, and is Chief of Hand Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Atlanta Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Scott is Chief Resident, Department of Orthopaedics, Atlanta Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia.
Abstract not available. Introduction provided instead.
Hand metastases are rare. Their incidence among all metastatic lesions is only slightly more than 0.1%. The distal phalanx is the most commonly involved site of hand metastases. Pancarpal involvement is more common than isolated carpal metastases. A solitary carpal metastasis can pose a diagnostic dilemma, as it mimics acute arthritis, osteomyelitis, and avascular necrosis, and, up to 16% of the time, it may be the first indication of a primary cancer elsewhere. An isolated metastatic lesion of the trapezium is reported for the first time.