Exostosis is a benign bone growth that can occur anywhere in the body due to environmental stress, joint damage, genetics, or spontaneously. Surgery is an option for painful or unsightly growth, while monitoring is recommended for non-threatening growth.
An exostosis is a benign bone growth. It can occur anywhere in the body and can be caused by a number of different things, ranging from environmental stresses to genetics. When someone develops an exostosis, the growth can become painful or unsightly, in which case surgery is a treatment option. In other cases, the growth may be allowed to remain, with a doctor keeping an eye on it to identify any early signs of complications that may emerge.
A common reason for the occurrence of exostoses is environmental stress. A classic example known as surfer’s ear occurs when bone grows in the ear canal, apparently in response to frequent floods of cold water. The patient begins to have hearing difficulties and may have ear pain caused by bone growth. A surgeon can remove bone to restore hearing and patient comfort. Another form, buccal exostosis, involves the mandible, with the lower jaw more prone than the upper jaw.
Joint damage can also cause this condition. In this case, the strain on the joint leads to the development of a small bone deposit on or near the joint. A closely related condition, osteocartilaginous exostosis, involves growth of bone and cartilage. This condition is also known as osteochondroma and tends to appear at the ends of long bones. This benign bone tumor can be left in place or removed, depending on whether or not it interferes with the patient’s quality of life.
Exostosis can also occur spontaneously, without a clear environmental cause. Some patients have a form known as hereditary multiple exostoses (HME), in which exostoses occur randomly throughout the body due to an inherited condition. In a family with a history of this condition, people can monitor children as they develop so they can detect signs of bone growth early.
This condition can be identified by a doctor, who can take x-rays, examine the patient, and conduct an interview to find out more. Once the extent of the problem is determined, your doctor can talk about treatment options. The conservative approach involves watching and waiting, leaving growth in place and periodically checking that it’s not causing problems. The most aggressive treatment involves surgery to remove the growth. If surgery is being done, the doctor may talk to the patient about the causes to see if any activities can be modified or avoided to prevent the growth from happening again.
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