Osteochondroma

Causes

The cause of osteochondroma is unknown. A hereditary form of the disease may be linked to problems with your genes.

Risk Factors

Your chances of osteochondroma are higher if you:

• Are a child or teen.
• Are male.
• Have other people in your family with the same problems.
• Have many osteochondromas on your bones. These are hereditary and rare.

Symptoms

Osteochondroma may cause:

• A hard, bony lump that may be:
  • Painless and not tender, but the tissue around it may become irritated and painful
  • Enlarging in size
• A long bone that breaks with less than the usual amount of force
• Pressure on nearby structures, including nerves

Diagnosis

You will be asked about your child's symptoms and health history. Your answers and a physical exam may point to osteochondroma. They may also have:

Imaging tests such as:

• X-rays
• CT scan
• MRI scan
• Ultrasound
• Angiography

Your child's doctor may do a biopsy . A tissue sample is taken and checked in a lab. This will determine if the lump is cancerous.

Treatment

Your child's doctor will go over treatment options. These may be:

• Monitoring—If the lump is not causing pain or other problems, it may be left alone. You and the doctor will keep track of it for any changes or new problems.
• Surgery—The lump is removed if it causes pain or other complications. It’s also removed if there is a chance of cancer. If the bone is weak, it can be rebuilt. Rebuilding the bone is done over a long period of time.

Prevention

There is no way to prevent osteochondroma since the cause is unknown.