Side Effects of Chondroblastoma
Chondroblastoma, also known as Codman's tumor, is a rare medical condition that causes a patient to develop a benign tumor of the bone. The tumor consists of chondroblast cells that create cartilage. Chondroblastoma tumors usually grow at the ends of long bones. This medical condition causes side effects or symptoms that can vary from patient to patient depending on the location and size of the tumor.
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Chondroblastoma
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Chondroblasts commonly develop on the upper arm bone, thigh bone or shin bone with chondroblastoma. Cases of this disorder have also developed in the hips and knees. Males are more likely than females to develop chondroblastoma and the disease usually occurs in people between the ages of 10 and 20 whose bones have not reached their complete growth potential. Chondroblast tumors may spread or metastasize to a patient's lungs.
Side Effects
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Patients with chondroblastoma may experience pain in the joints of a shoulder, hip or knee. This pain may be last for months or years and it may be mild, moderate or severe. People with chondroblastoma may notice an impaired mobility in a joint that is close to a chondroblast tumor. Muscle tissue near an affected bone may develop a shrunken or withered appearance. Joint swelling, stiffness and fluid accumulation in a joint may occur with this condition.
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Diagnosis
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Doctors use several tests in addition to a physical examination and medical history as they diagnose a case of chondroblastoma. A physician may use an x-ray to see images of internal bones and tissues. A patient may undergo a magnetic resonance imaging test or computerized tomography scan if a doctor requires detailed images of a suspected tissue growth. Physicians may also order bone scans to identify all tumor locations and blood tests to measure blood cells that are affected by a chondroblastoma.
Treatment
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Doctors may treat a chondroblastoma with one or more of several types of surgical procedures. A surgeon may perform a curettage in which he makes an incision and uses a special instrument called a curette to scrape a chondroblast tumor from a bone. The surgeon may graft bone chips from a patient or a donor to an affected area of bone after a curettage procedure. A doctor may also perform a radiofrequency ablation procedure to kill tumor cells.
Prognosis
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The long-term prognosis for patients with chondroblastoma depends on several factors, including the size of the tumor, the tumor's location and the degree to which the tumor has spread to the lungs. Cases of chondroblastoma that are diagnosed before the tumor metastasizes to the lungs are often cured with surgical removal of the tumor. The overall health and age of a patient will influence his chances of recovering from this medical condition.
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