Chondromyxoid fibroma of the femur: a case report with intra-cortical location

Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is the least common benign cartilaginous tumor, comprising less than 0.5 to 1% of all skeletal neoplasms. This subject was a 16-year-old female with a three-year history of pain involving the distal femoral metaphysis. This case showed an unusual feature: it was intracortical in location. Radiologic differential diagnosis included metaphyseal fibrous defect, periosteal chondroma, simple or aneurysmal bone cyst, and cortical abscess. On operation, the lesion filled the intracortical defect with whitish myxoid soft tissue, bulging into the adjacent soft tissue. Microscopically, it showed typical features of chondromyxoid fibroma composed of mainly myxoid nodules and peripheral fibrous elements with focal chondroid differentiation.