EWING'S SARCOMA OF THE HAND FOLLOWING RECURRENT TRAUMA

A case of Ewing's Sarcoma of the thumb is described. Four years after a fracture of the first metacarpal, fol lowed by a series of repeated traumata to the area, a tumour was discovered. According to Ewing's criteria of trauma induced malignancy, this case is highly suggestive to have been caused by trauma. CASE REPORT A twenty year old mechanic was admitted to the department of orthopaedic surgery because of a painful swelling of his left thumb, and a rapid loss of weight of about five kilograms, during the previous two months. Four years earlier he had sustained a fracture of the metacarpal of his thumb, following a direct blow with a hammer (Fig.l). The fracture healed uneventfully within three weeks (Fig. 2), leaving a small slightly sensitive swelling at the base of the thumb. During the next four years he suffered four repeated blunt injuries to the same area, the last one, about one month prior to his admission. Since then he observed a rapidly growing swelling, which interfered with the normal function of the thumb, and the area became very painful