ANEURYSMAL BONE-CYSTS IN YOUNG-CHILDREN

We reviewed seven young children (less-than-or-equal-to 10 years) with aneurysmal bone cysts. There were four girls and three boys. Six had involvement of the long bones and one had involvement of the clavicle. The average age was 5.5 years (range 2.9-10.6 years). Initial treatme nt was curettage and bone grafting. There were recurrences in five of the seven children (71%). This represented 100% of children with radio graphically aggressive or active lesions. The recurrences appeared rap idly, at an average of 8 months from the first procedure. The mitotic index of the initial lesion did not correlate with that of the recurre nt lesion. Surgical management of the recurrences must be handled indi vidually, but repeat curettage and grafting is only recommended when s urgical resection is not possible. This high rate of recurrence in rad iographically aggressive or active aneurysmal bone cysts in young chil dren should be considered when planning treatment, and in the preopera tive counseling of parents.