Spectrum of tumour and tumour-like lesions of bone in a Tertiary Care Hospital in North Karnataka, India

Introduction: The wide spectrum of bone tumours, their diverse origin and the tendency of these tumors to produce overlapping anatomic patterns, make osseous neoplasms a complicated but highly challenging area from the point of view of morphological diagnosis. Objectives: To know the pattern of tumour and tumour-like lesions of bone including their incidence, age, sex and anatomical distribution, histo-morphological features in a tertiary care hospital of South India. Materials and Methods: Biopsies and specimens received at the department of Pathology, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli from July 2006 to June 2011 (5 year period) are included in the study. Results: A total of 115 cases were included in the study of which 104 (90.4%) were tumors of bone and 11 (9.6%) were tumor-like lesions. Primary bone tumors were seen in 101 (97.1%) cases and secondary tumors were seen in 3 cases (2.9%). Out of all lesions studied, malignant bone tumours were 31 (26.9%), benign bone tumours 71 (61.73%) and tumour like lesions 13 (11.3%). Osteochondroma (50.7%) was most common benign tumor followed by osteoclastoma (40.8%). Osteosarcoma was commonest malignant tumor (58%) followed by Ewing's sarcoma (16.2%). There were 3 cases of secondary tumors- one of renal cell carcinoma and the other two were adenocarcinomas of unknown primary. Conclusion: This study showed that benign tumours accounted for most of the primary bone tumours. Osteochondroma and osteosarcoma are the most common benign and primary malignant bone tumors, respectively.