Hand Tumors

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    • Benign:
      • Epidermal inclusion cysts: from epidermal cells embedded in dermis (usually from trauma)
        • are treated with excision
      • Glomus tumor: benign hamartomatous neoplasm. most frequently in fingertip, subungually –> symptoms include pain, sensitivity to cold, tenderness on palpation, purple mass can sometimes be observed
        • Love sign: extreme pain on direct focal pressure
        • Hildreth sign: ablation of pain with proximal tourniquet inflation
        • Ice bath immersion test
        • MRI
        • Treatment is complete excision
      • Mucous cyst: ganglion cysts of the DIP joint associated with nail spurs and bony grooving
        • Evaluation through physical exam and Xrays (xrays wil show DIP osteophytes)
        • Nail grooving occurs through compression of germinal matrix
        • Treatment: excise cyst and remove bony spurs
      • Pyogenic granuloma: reactive vascular tumor that rapidly grows in response to minor trauma –> treatment is excision and cauterization of base, management can be chemical cauterization, currettage, silver nitrate
      • Digital fibromatosis: rapidly growing broad base masses on dorsal/lateral aspects of finger
        • Treatment is wide excision and FTSG
      • Keratocanthoma: cutaneous lesion similar to SCC (benign), round, elevated, central crater.  is variant of SCC, appears as red papule on sun damaged skin, rapidly expands
        • excisional biopsy and primary closure
      • Retinacular cysts: ganglion cysts of tendon sheath seen at volar MCP
      • Ganglion cyst: most common hand tumor. volar wrist can arise from radiocarpal joint or capsule of scaphotrapezial joint (second most common), dorsal most common, (scapholunate ligament)
        • Lowest recurrence rates with excision
        • Other means such as aspiration or rupture
        • Transilluminates
        • Can observe pediatric ganglions if asymptomatic, most spontaneously rupture
        • Observation warranted in pediatric ganlgions unless symptomatic
      • Giant cell tumor: neoplasm of histiocytes, 
        • typically on tendon sheath, rubbery mass more common on flexor surface, slow growing, tan and typically multi lobulated. Can be invasive
        • Hemosiderin deposits, risk of recurrence**
        • Does not transilluminate
        • needs complete excision
        • (locally expansive tumors) that can metastasize to lung 1-5% 
      • Endochondroma: benign cartilaginous tumor in bone of hand; develop 2nd/3rd decade; pain in absence of fracture sign of malignant degeneration
        • Show scalloped lytic lesion within medullary canal of affected bone with scattered calcification
        • Hyaline cartilage surrounded by lamellar bone with varying calcification
        • Associated with ollier’s disease (endochondromas with skeletal dysplasia); maffucci syndrome
          • Mafucci syndrome: multiple endochondromas associated with vascular hemangioma
        • Treat with curettage and bone grafting–> 10% will recur (most likely outcome is normal healing without recurrence)
          • Can be autologous or bone graft substitute 
        • Most common location is proximal phalanx
        • If incidental finding with fracture, treat fracture first then excise later
        • Malignant degeneration into chondrosarcomas rare
      • Chondromyxoid fibromas: benign cartilaginous tumors that rarely occur in upper extremity; radiolucent lesion with small sclerotic rims
      • Osteoid osteomas: symptomatic, pain at night relieved with NSAIDS, xray shows target like lesion
        • Hypervascular nidus of osteoblasts with surrounding cortical reactive bone formation
        • Treatment is curretage and bone grafting 
      • Osteochondroma: have a bone stalk and cartilaginous cap growing from the metaphysis in skeletally immature patients
        • Treat non operatively unless symptomatic
        • Can occur with multiple hereditary exostosis (if other lesions are present)
        • WLE and reconstruction to prevent symptoms (even if on the chest)
      • Neurofibroma: tumor arising within the nerve fascicles.
        • Evaluate with MRI
        • Can cause deficits
        • Think NF1 or vonrecklinghausen disease if have neurofibroma and café au lait spots
      • Neurilemmoma (schwannoma): tumor of schwann  (glial) cells on nerve surface
        • Schwannoma: benign nerve tumor, painless, typically in proximal wrist; can be painful if in digits –> diagnose with tinel and MRI –> can perform marginal excision non infiltrative; on MRI is hyperintense on T2
        • Usually does not affect nerve function
        • NF2- associated with b/l acoustic schwannomas
      • Pseudoaneurysms from arterial wall perforation treated with exploration and vascular repair (if arterial perfusion needed) otherwise can be excised
      • AV malformations of hands: selective intralesional embolization followed by surgical resection
      • Low flow malformations: like venous –> can be excised
        • Present with soft, compressible, swelling with dependency, rapid growth with horomonal changes
        • Sclerotherapy may be used for larger or more diffuse lesions
      • Extensor brevis manus originates from DRC
        • Can present as a tender dorsal wrist mass distal to the radiocarpal joint, can present as ganglion cyst, moves with finger movement
      • Hemagiopericytoma: dervies from vascular zimmerman pericytes –> biopsy with wide local excision
      • Lipoma is most common tumor on body, do not transilluminate and is mobile, slow growth, soft
      • Gout: 
        • Tophi- present as red nodules with milky white fluid
        • Treat with anti-inflammatory agents IE colchicine
    • Malignant:
      • SCC is the most common malignant tumor in the hand
      • Malignant peripheral sheath tumors metastasize to lung (from nerve elements) and are the malignant form of neurofibroma
        • They are classified as sarcomas
      • Soft Tissue Sarcomas: rare tumors representing less than 1% malignancies
        • Work up includes MRI, biopsy, and CT of chest
          • Incisional biopsy through longitudinal incision for soft tissue masses after MRI, other things may spread
          • For incisional biospy, longitudinal incision with tourniquet no esmarch
        • Treatment includes wide excision, primary reconstruction, and radiation therapy
        • Need at least a 1cm biopsy
        • Transverse biopsies lend itself to higher recurrence rate in sarcomas and need for flap coverage
        • Exsanguination of arm is not recommended in those with neoplastic tumors; can elevate and compress brachial artery; typically 250mmHg, 50-75 higher than SBP
      • Osteosarcoma: most common location is the humerus, most common malignant tumor of bone
        • Symptoms include pain and edema
        • Radiographs reveal a sunburst pattern with periosteal elevation at codman’s triangle
      • Epithelioid sarcoma: treatment is with pre-op radiation and WLE, chemotherapy if >10cm or high grade
        • Remember preopreative radiation before WLE
      • Verrucous carcinoma of fingernails from HPV, can mohs with graft coverage if DP not involved
      • Suspect NF1 with malignant peripheral sheath tumors
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