Information for Patients

In addition to fibrous dysplasia, there are several benign fibrous lesions that primarily affect bone, including osteofibrous dysplasia (OFD), nonossifying fibroma (NOF), and desmoplastic fibroma (DF). All three diseases have different presentations, imaging characteristics, and treatments. OFD is a rare, congenital, hamartomatous, osteofibrous lesion found primarily in the anterior cortex of the tibial midshaft of patients younger than 15 years. Excision of an OFD lesion should be avoided in skeletally immature patients because these lesions are prone to recurrence; instead, nonsurgical treatment should be used. NOF is a common, benign, fibrous, hamartomatous lesion usually found in the metaphyses of the lower extremity long bones of skeletally immature individuals. In most patients, NOF lesions remain asymptomatic and require no treatment. DF is a rare, benign, aggressive, bony lesion that most commonly affects the cancellous metaphyseal bone of the femur, tibia, and pelvis. DF can develop at any age, but the lesion is mostly found in individuals between 15 and 30 years of age. Wide excision, which can be challenging depending on the location of the lesion is the treatment of choice for DF lesions.