[A finger-saving operation in squamous cell carcinoma of the right thumb. A case report].

A 68-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma of the right thumb underwent a finger-saving operation. The lesion (2 X 2.3 cm) was located near the IP joint. There were no distant metastases. A wide local excision including the MP joint was performed, and the axillary lymph nodes were dissected. To avoid any loss of length the bone defect was treated with a 2.5-cm-long bone graft from the third rib. The skin defect was closed with a local flap. In the histological examination tumor cells reached the subcutaneous layer; the deeper layers and the bone were not involved. Two years after the operation neither local recurrence nor distant metastases were found and the function of the right hand was good. The good outcome of this case does not allow any general conclusion on the best treatment for such cases; but it does emphasize the difficulties of deciding on the treatment (amputation or excision) to be applied in this area.