1 The Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Cartilaginous tumors in children may be divided into peripheral and central types according to their location in long bones. The peripheral tumors are by and large osteochondromata. The central tumors are mainly enchondromata.
Cartilaginous tumors do not respond favorably to irradiation but are best treated by wide resection. Periosteal chondroma, chondroblastoma and chondromyxoidfibroma appear to respond to complete curettement and substitution of chips of bone.
Osteochondroma and enchondroma should be watched through the growth period. Their increase in size is gradual during this period.
Pain in, or enlargement of, a cartilaginous tumor, particularly after completion of growth, should be regarded as development of chondrosarcoma.
Surgical biopsy of a chondroma is indicated when diagnosis is questionable or when growth of the tumor is accelerated.