THE ROLE OF DIFFERENT IMAGING MODALITIES IN THE EVALUATION OF GIANT CELL TUMOUR OF BONE

The giant cell tumour of bone (GCTB) is described as an osseous neoplasm that is histologically benign but clinically shows local aggression and rarely "benign" pulmonary metastases or undergoes malignant transformation. The World Health Organisation has classified it as "an aggressive, potentially malignant lesion". There are many unanswered questions with regard to both its treatment and prognosis. The most common sites are the long bones of the knee, followed by the proximal humerus. The most common symptom is increasing pain at the tumour location. The majority of patients with GCTB are successfully treated by intralesional curettage with or without use of adjuvants for decreasing the rate of recurrence. In some cases with extensive, recurrent and more aggressive tumours a wide excision might be performed. The aim of the present study was to establish the role of different imaging modalities in the evaluation of GCTB, the radiological images of GCTB and their specific indications and characteristics.