Five patients with primary multicentric giant-cell tumor of bone (eighteen
lesions) were followed for four to fourteen and one-half years from the time
of the original diagnosis. Only fifteen such cases (fifty-two lesions) have
been reported previously. In our series the course of each lesion was similar
to that expected of the monostotic tumor. There was a high incidence of
lesions in the small bones of the hand (eleven of the eighteen). The
histological features were generally typical, but some lesions had a stroma
composed mostly of spindle cells. All of the lesions were excised and there
was a recurrence in four patients. Of eight lesions treated by curettage with
or without autogenous bone-grafting, six recurred. All lesions in the hand
that were treated by curettage recurred. There was only one recurrence of the
lesions treated by amputation or en bloc resection. Infection
occurred in one patient. There were no metastases.