Enchondroma of the Lunate

Fig. 2. A preoperative T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging image revealed a high signal intensity in the lunate. Fig. 1. A 40-year-old woman presented with pain in the dorsal aspect of the right wrist. Im ag es droma shows a round, transparent osteolytic bony change [2]. It is generally asymptomatic, but may expand [3]. Although enlargement of enchondroma with cortical thinning and protrusion can occur in the advanced phase, the cortical margin of the involved bone is spared, and there is no invasion into the surrounding tissue [2]. Enchondroma usually occurs in the phalanges and metacarpals [1]. However, it is rarely found in carpal bone [2-4]. We report a case with an enchondroma occurring in the lunate bone of the carpus, which was associated with dorsal wrist pain. A 40-year-old right-handed woman complained of intermittent right wrist pain for the previous 8 months (Fig. 1). The symptoms worsened after prolonged usage of the hand. She had no history of previous trauma. Eight months earlier, she had experienced painful swelling in the right wrist, which was diagnosed as tendonitis and treated with a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug at a local clinic. Physical examination revealed dorsal wrist tenderness, and wrist movements were not restricted. Laboratory findings were within normal limits. An X-ray of the wrist showed a well-demarcated, rounded radiolucent area in the lunate. There were no fractures or other lesions in the bones of the hand. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated that T1-weighted images showed hypointense and T2-weighted images hyperintense signal differences from the normal bony margin of the lunate (Fig. 2). Surgery was performed with a dorsal approach to the lunate bone. After careful dissection, the lunate was exposed. The cortex of the lunate was very thin and a small burr was used to open a cortical window. The inner contents were meticulously curetted and Enchondroma of the Lunate