Lesions and tumours of the cuboid bone: A case series of 16 patients from a tertiary orthopaedic centre.

Background

Bony lesions of the tarsal bones in general and, more specifically, the cuboid are rare and therefore sparsely covered in the existing literature as well as uncommonly seen in radiology. Combined with nonspecific clinical symptoms, they can be challenging to identify and characterise on imaging. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is paramount because the responsible entities include malignant tumours. To our knowledge, this is among the largest case series of cuboid lesions reported.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 16 patients presenting to a tertiary orthopaedic oncology centre with lesions of the cuboid bone was conducted by a musculoskeletal radiologist with over 20 years of experience. Key radiological and demographic features were extracted and compared within and across pathologies to identify common and distinguishing features. Descriptive statistics were calculated (counts, percentages, median and interquartile range); inferential tests were not performed because of the small sample.

Results

A total of 16 patients were included, with 13 females (81%) and 3 males (19%). Median age at diagnosis was 48.5 years (IQR 46.5), with the youngest two patients presenting at 8 years of age. Two lesions (13%) were metastases (one lung and one colon), two (13%) were giant cell tumours (GCT) and two (13%) were Ollier's disease; every other diagnosis occurred once. All radiological features were extracted and compared.

Conclusion

Despite their rarity, cuboid lesions do occur and present with a wide range of pathology. This case series compares the key identifying features of such lesions to inform radiologists' future practice when approaching cuboid lesions, supporting appropriate diagnosis.