Giant Cell Tumor in the Cuboid

Giant cell tumors are uncommon in the hand or foot. Although several case reports with giant cell tumor in these locations are described, there have only been a few reported cases of this tumor type located in the cuboid of the foot. In this report, we present a case with giant cell tumor in the cuboid. A 19-year-old Japanese man was admitted with a three-month history of aching pain in his right foot. Radiographs demonstrated an osteolytic lesion in the cuboid. Magnetic resonance (MR) images showed that the lesion had homogeneously iso-signal intensity in T1-weighted images, and relatively high signal intensity in T2-weighted images. A biopsy specimen exhibited a proliferation of mononuclear round or oval cells and multinucleated giant cells, indicating a diagnosis of giant cell tumor. Curettage with cautery using 50°C high-temperature saline for 15 minutes followed by an artificial bone graft were performed. The patient has remained asymptomatic with no signs of local recurrence or pulmonary dissemination seven years after surgery.

Giant cell tumors typically occur in the epiphyseal/metaphyseal region of the long tubular bone but are uncommon in the hand or foot 1,2]. In English literature, several case reports with giant cell tumor in the hand or foot are certainly described, but there have only been a few reported cases of this tumor type located in the cuboid of the foot 2,3,4,5,6]. To our knowledge, no case of this type has been described in the Japanese literature. In this report, we present a 19-year-old Japanese man with giant cell tumor in the cuboid treated with curettage and cautery using high-temperature saline followed by an artificial bone graft. Radiological, histological differential diagnoses, and biological behavior are also discussed.