Professional
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
enchondroma
Pronunciation: en-CON-dro-ma
Benign cartilaginous tumor occurring within the medullary cavity of bones.
Full Definition
An enchondroma is a benign intramedullary cartilaginous tumor that develops within the marrow cavity of bones. These tumors are composed of mature hyaline cartilage and most commonly affect the small bones of the hands and feet, though they can occur in long bones. Most enchondromas are asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on imaging. However, they can weaken bone structure and predispose to pathologic fractures. Multiple enchondromas occur in Ollier disease, which carries a risk of malignant transformation to chondrosarcoma.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from osteochondroma (surface tumor) and chondrosarcoma (malignant).
In Context
- "The hand radiograph revealed a well-circumscribed enchondroma in the proximal phalanx." — Radiological interpretation
- "Pathologic fracture through an enchondroma required curettage and bone grafting." — Surgical procedure note
Also known as
cartilage tumor
Don't confuse with
osteochondroma
chondrosarcoma