[Beneficial effects of cryosurgical treatment in benign and low-grade-malignant bone tumors in 120 patients].

BACKGROUND: Benign and low-grade malignant bone tumours are generally treated with intralesional curettage. At microscopic level tumour cells are left behind and may be responsible for a recurrence. Therefore adjuvant local treatment is necessary. METHOD: By spraying liquid nitrogen into the remaining cavity, tumour cells are frozen very rapidly. Ice crystals formed in the (tumour) cell will mechanically damage the cell resulting in cell necrosis. This combined treatment of surgery and freezing is called cryosurgery. RESULTS: In 120 patients with a follow-up of at least 1 year the treatment results were good. The tumours were: aneurysmatic bone cyst (n = 32), simple bone cyst (n = 13), chondroid tumour (n = 43), giant-cell tumour (n = 13), eosinophilic granuloma (n = 7) and monostotic fibrous dysplasia (n = 12). There were 10 recurring tumours, some of them very small; 6 recurrences were treated successfully by cryosurgery again; in 2 recurrences marginal resection was carried out; 2 recurrences remained (as yet) untreated. CONCLUSION: Cryosurgery as a therapy of benign and low-grade malignant bone tumours yields results nearly as good as marginal resection, and has the advantage that segmental bone resections, which need extensive reconstructions are avoided.