MR-IMAGING OF SYMPTOMATIC OSTEOCHONDROMAS WITH PATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION

Objective. To demonstrate the value of MR imaging in the diagnosis and differentiation of the various symptomatic complications of osteochon dromas, providing pathological correlation with emphasis on the useful ness of MR imaging as a single imaging modality in these patients. Des ign. We retrospectively reviewed all MR examinations of clinically sym ptomatic osteochondromas (30 patients) performed at our institution be tween March 1990 and October 1997. Patients. Thirty patients had clini cally symptomatic osteochondromas during the study period. Twenty pati ents were male and 10 were female. There were five cases of multiple o steochondromatosis. Pathological correlation was available in 24 patie nts. Results and conclusion. Symptomatic complications included fractu re (7%), osseous deformity limiting range of motion (23%), vascular in jury (7%), neurological compromise (10%), bursa formation (27%) and ma lignant transformation (27%). MR imaging was able to diagnose or sugge st the etiology for the clinical symptomatology in all cases, demonstr ating that it is an ideal imaging modality in the diagnostic evaluatio n of symptomatic complications of osteochondromas and often avoids the need for further imaging.