Soft tissue chondroma of the plantar foot in a 14-year-old boy: a case report

Soft tissue chondroma is a rare benign tumor with a predilection for hands and feet. The incidence is only about 1.5% of all benign tumors and this neoplasm is rarely seen in the paediatric population. In this paper we report the case of a 14-year-old boy treated for a soft tissue chondroma located next to the left foot second metatarsal. A 14-year-old boy presented with a slowly growing plantar swelling of the left foot. The mass was solid, mobile, measuring 4 cm and located in soft tissues opposite of the left foot second metatarsal. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed and revealed a mass measuring 37 ∗ 27 mm with regular seams, on iso-signal T1 and hyposignal T2 without any skeletal connection. A marginal excision of the mass was performed and the postoperative time was uneventful. The clinical presentation of soft tissue chondroma is generally not specific which makes the diagnosis mostly challenging. Magnetic resonance imaging is the most performed paraclinical examination that allows a better analysis of the lesion. A surgical excision of the tumor is the treatment of choice. Soft tissue as a primary site of chondroma is a rarely reported localisation and this neoplasm should be kept in mind as a possible diagnosis face to any plantar mass in childhood. •Soft tissue chondroma of the plantar foot is rarely seen in the paediatric population.•They must be suspected in children with principally a painless palpable mass of soft tissues that evolves slowly.•Surgical resection of the tumor represents the basis of treatment.•A regular clinical follow-up is recommanded to detect any possible reccurrence of the neoplasm.