Surgical treatment for pelvic giant cell tumor: a multi-center study

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to discuss the clinical results which related to the location of giant cell tumors (GCTs) in the pelvis so as to determine the ideal surgical treatment protocol. METHODS: We report 29 cases who accepted surgical treatment from five clinical centers during the last 12 years. All patients were divided into three groups according to tumor locations, and they were also classified into two groups in light of surgical treatments. The parameters for outcome evaluation consisting of general condition, surgical complications, local disease control, and Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) 93 functional score had been analyzed, respectively. RESULTS: Surgical treatment in the acetabular area usually resulted in postoperative complications and poor function. One patient who accepted intralesional surgery and two who accepted wide resection had local recurrence. The mean functional score was 25.4 for the 8 patients who received intralesional surgery and 21.9 for the 21 patients who received wide resection. Surgical complications occurred in 1 patient who underwent intralesional surgery and the other 6 patients who underwent wide resection. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that surgical treatment of pelvic GCTs in the acetabular area is difficult to select as it is always accompanied by complications and poor function. Compared to wide resection, intralesional surgery combined with a meticulous preoperative planning may lower the recurrence rate and obtain favorable postoperative functional results.