Is Ollier's disease an understaging of Maffucci's syndrome?

Ollier's disease and Maffucci's syndrome are similar multiple enchondromato us conditions. Other co-existing pathologies, particularly other primary ma lignancies, have been described sporadically in both conditions but more so in Maffucci's syndrome. Maffucci's syndrome is distinguished from Ollier's disease by the presence of haemangiomas in the former. In this report, a p atient believed to have Ollier's disease for 44 years was subsequently foun d to have large splenic haemangiomas on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). I n the light of this, we recommend that any patient diagnosed with Ollier's disease to have total body MRI to search for haemangiomas that will alter t he diagnosis to Maffucci's syndrome and hence the prognosis. MRI also scree ns for the presence of other associated malignancies.