Giant Cell Tumor of the Tendon Sheath in the Foot and Ankle: Case Series and Review of the Literature

Giant cell tumor of tendon sheath (GCT-TS) in the foot and ankle has been reported as rare. The purpose of the present study was to describe 20 cases of GCT-TS in the foot and ankle treated in the orthopedic department of Huashan Hospital. From January 2007 to January 2012, a retrospective review was performed of 20 cases of GCT-TS in the foot and ankle, all of which were treated by local excision, including both arthroscopy and local excision. The follow-up of all cases was 3 months to 5 years. Of the 20 patients, 14 were female and 6 were male, with a mean age of 38.7 (range 15 to 59) years. Seventeen presented with a painless, solitary, well-defined soft tissue mass with good or poor mobility. Three had discomfort on weightbearing, because the mass was on the plantar aspect of the foot. One patient had neurologic symptoms. A correct preoperative diagnosis was made in only 5 cases. Magnetic resonance imaging proved to be the most useful noninvasive preoperative investigation, because GCT-TS has a characteristic appearance that allows for planned local excision to be performed. Four cases recurred after surgical excision, for a recurrence rate of 20%. After reviewing the published data and comparing them with our results, we concluded that a definite preoperative diagnosis of GCT-TS in the foot and ankle would help in planning the surgical treatment and that complete local excision is probably the only method to prevent recurrence. (C) 2013 by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. All rights reserved.