Background: The incidence of osteosarcoma of the hand is about 0.18% of all osteosarcomas.
Methods: This study describes the clinicopathologic profile of 12 patients (3 Mayo Clinic and 9 consultation) with osteosarcoma of the hand (13 tumors).
Results: The patients (six male patients, five female, one unknown) were from 16 to 81 years of age (average, 45). Seven tumors were in phalanges and six in metacarpals. Nine tumors were classified as conventional, one as low-grade intraosseous, one as osteoblastoma-like, one as high-grade surface, and one as periosteal osteosarcoma. Recurrent disease developed in all patients in whom the initial operation resulted in intralesional excision or a marginal margin but not in the five patients in whom the initial operation achieved wide margins. Only one patient died of metastatic disease.
Conclusions: The findings in this review support the conclusion that surgical treatment with a wide margin provides good results in patients with osteosarcoma of the hand.