Synovial chondromatosis of the foot.

Synovial chondromatosis rarely occurs in the foot. Five patients with synovial chondromatosis in the foot were treated with excision. There were four men and one woman with a mean age of 37 years (range, 19-58 years). Mineral densities adjacent to the joint were seen on radiographs of all patients. Synovial chondromatosis occurred in the calcaneocuboid, tibiotalar, naviculocuneiform, and metatarsophalangeal joints. A painful mass was the common initial presentation in all patients. The patients were followed up for an average of 5 years (range, 3-16 years) after arthrotomy and excision. All patients were relieved of symptoms and retained normal function. There was no clinical or radiographic evidence of recurrence.