Journal of Clinical and Scientific Research (Jan 2023)
Clinicopathological spectrum of lumps and bumps on the hand: A 5-year retrospective study
Abstract
Background: Diverse lesions ranging from infective, inflammatory to neoplastic can occur in the hand. Almost all lesions that occur elsewhere in the body can affect the hand as well. Methods: This was a hospital-based retrospective study of 5 years done between January 2016 and December 2020. We enumerated the clinical and histopathological spectrum of lesions of the hand. The details were collected from the patient requisition forms and pathology records. Results: Of the 80 cases seen during the study period, 25 (31.3%) were non-neoplastic and 55 (68.8%) were neoplastic; male: female ratio was 0.95:1. The most frequent lesions identified were ganglion cysts (n = 13), followed by giant cell tumour (GCT) of tendon sheath (n = 11). Common non-neoplastic lesions included were ganglion cyst (n = 13), pyogenic granuloma (n = 3); epidermoid cyst, fungal granuloma, pigmented seborrhoeic keratosis (n = 2 each) and cutaneous horn, molluscum contagiosum and granulomatous inflammation. Amongst neoplastic lesions, mesenchymal lesions were 49 (89.1%) and epithelial lesions were 6 (10.9%); they were GCT of tendon sheath 11 (22.4%) lipomas and nerve sheath tumours 9 (18.36%) cases each, arteriovenous malformations/haemangiomas 5 (10.2%), fibromas 2 (4.08%) and one (2.04%) case each of myolipoma, fibrolipoma, benign fibrous histiocytoma, calcifying aponeurotic fibroma and benign spindle cell tumour, palmar fibromatosis. Malignant mesenchymal neoplasms included synovial sarcoma (n = 3), epithelioid sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour and high-grade spindle cell sarcoma (n = 1 each). Amongst epithelial, benign lesions were 2, malignant lesions were 4, of which 3 were squamous cell carcinoma and one was melanoma and the two benign lesions were skin adnexal tumours, of which one was a case of eccrine poroma and the other was pilomatrixoma. Conclusions: In patients presenting with lumps and bumps on the hand, common non-neoplastic lesions included ganglion cyst and pyogenic granuloma. Amongst neoplastic lesions, mesenchymal lesions and epithelial lesions were most commonly seen.
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