Tumors of the bones of the feet: the clinicopathologic features of 150 cases

The small bones of the feet may be affected by a full spectrum of benign and malignant processes. Essentially all tumors which may arise elsewhere in the skeletal system may also occur in the feet. Although investigators have completed exhaustive studies detailing the occurrence of tumors of the skeletal system at large, few series have adequately summarized such tumors as they occur in the small bones of the feet. A study was made of 150 consecutive cases of mass-forming tumors of the bones of the feet, which were diagnosed over a 15-year period at a major cancer center. This series confirms that the bones of the feet are affected by a full spectrum of mass-forming tumors; however, such lesions arise with an incidence that is unique to this site. The various tumors identified in this series are presented and the associated epidemiologic data are discussed. Unusual trends in incidence, apparently unique to this location, are stressed.