Giant cell tumor of distal phalanx of great toe. A case report

Giant cell tumors are locally aggressive benign osseous neoplasms of unknown origin. They mostly occur after skeletal maturity in 3rd or 4th decade and commonly involve long bones although occasional occurrence at other sites has been reported. It is rare to see these tumors involving the phalangeal bone of foot. We report a case of giant cell tumor involving the distal phalanx of great toe in a 27 year old female who presented with swelling of great toe of right foot. Radiography showed an expansile lesion in distal phalanx of great toe. En bloc resection of phalanx was done. Biopsy showed giant cell tumor and regular follow up of this patient for two years showed no recurrence of tumor. Giant cell tumor at such a location is unusually aggressive and needs regular follow up to detect local recurrence.