I was called into doctors surgery yesterday for results of my sons xray. He has been suffering alot with pain in his right knee. They have said the xray shows a benign boney tumor of no pathological significance.He has been refered to orthopedics .My son has also lost alot of weight over the last year he was 10 and a half stone now 8 and is 5ft 10in .Hes 16 .How do they know its benign ?can they tell by xray?what could it be? Very worried mum

Hi: I had a similar situation where I have a lump in my lumbar area that is getting bigger and hurts real bad. I had a CT scan and US, and the radiologist assures me that it is some type of fat formation and that there are no fluids in the lump so it can't be biopsied with a needle, and it doesn't look like a cancerous growth. I'm not totally convinced that a CT scan can prove or disprove something like this, but my dr agreed with the radiologist. If you can find someone to do a tissue biopsy, then you would have a definite answer on your sons situation, but sometimes it's hard to find someone to do it, if the initial testing makes it look like it's benign. I'm not sure how an x-ray can show if something is benign, but they do say that CT scans can. I would look into a biopsy if you are concerned and want a definite answer, the only problem is finding someone who agrees with it.


Good Luck...

I work in a radiology dept and where i work i can assure you that no dr will tell you its benign if they have the least suspect that its not. With an x ray it may be quite clear what the problem is .The shape an density of the lesion indicate what the problem is. Do you know if its cystic in origin?
A CT scan or even an MRI are able to give more accurate diagnosis .
If you re not satisfied you can always take a second opinion.
However what ever happens a would recommend follow up.

AMy

I am so sorry for you, i am a mother myself and love my kids to death. To me it would be scary thing also.
what i would do? I don't care how good is my Doctor and how much i trust him. I would get 2-3 opinions and than would rest my mined.

When my son at age 16 was diagnosed with inlarged tymose gland in his chest - they did ex-rays, and had to do biopsy surgery because it located under neath the ribs. Surgery was 2 hours, i don't know how did we survived. Surgeon had a great reputation and we trusted him. After report came back that it was bening we were so happy!!! but i still took all his pathology slides, reports, pictures and went to NYC - Sloan Hospital.
And you know what they told me??? That diagnose can't be confirmed because it was not taken enough tissue. I was beside myself: for a kid to have 2 hr surgery, to leave for the rest of his life with scar tissue which causes him so much pain every day and not take enought tissue???:mad:

The worse part- they could not re-do the biopsy surgery, it could damage his lungs or heart (the place where it located) and therefore we have to go every 6 month for CT and see if it's growing or not. Let me tell you - frastruating and scary each time we go. And good thing i went for second opinion to the best of the best because what if he had lymphoma and i would be satisfied with the results i received from the local Doctors and would not go any further - i could loose my child. This way i know he is in a good hands now.

By any means, i don't want to scare you. I just believe in second-third, etc opinion. In a serious situations i believe not to give my or my loved ones lives in a hands of one Doctor. They don't know everything, they humans and make mistakes too.
Good luck to you, dear. I hope nothing serious with your son and all will be OK for you.:wave: