We present the case of a 26-year-old female patient who came for consultation with pain in the right wrist of 7 years' duration with no history of trauma. The pain at rest was mild, but increased with manual activity and especially with forced extension of the wrist. It did not improve with symptomatic medical treatment.
The dorsal radiocarpal joint interline and the proximal pole of the scaphoid were painful on palpation. There was no palpable tumour. Wrist mobility was slightly limited in the last degrees of flexion and extension.
The radiological image showed a radiolucent, well-defined, oval lesion located in the mid-dorsal third of the scaphoid. The CT scan showed the dorsal eccentric location of the lesion and a stippling compatible with calcifications. The MRI showed signs of marked bone oedema in the scaphoid, except in the distal third, and adjacent synovitis. With the diagnosis of a suspected benign lesion (enchondroma, intraosseous ganglion), surgical treatment of the lesion was decided. This was performed via a dorsal approach to the scaphoid. After opening the joint capsule, the dorsal aspect of the distal epiphysis of the radius and the scaphoid was exposed, revealing a pearly, wine-red tumour in the middle third of the scaphoid, occupying the dorsal crest of the navicular bone. Exhaustive curettage of the lesion was performed and the defect was filled with cancellous bone graft from the iliac crest.

The remitted material consisted of islets of cartilage matrix surrounded by abundant cellular tissue consisting of pseudo-chondroblastic cells. These cells were round or ovoid with hyperchromatic nuclei, clear or moderately eosinophilic cytoplasm and a clear plasma membrane. Cell pleomorphism was minimal and the mitotic index very low. Some cells contained iron. Among the pseudochondroblastic cells there were abundant osteoclast-like giant cells. In some areas there were areas of irregular calcification. There were also some areas of cystic transformation resembling aneurysmal cysts. The pathological diagnosis was carpal scaphoid chondroblastoma.

After surgical treatment, the wrist was immobilised with an antebrachial splint for 3 weeks and the patient was subsequently referred to the Rehabilitation Service. At the 3-month check-up, complete recovery of wrist mobility and radiological image of bone consolidation of the iliac crest autograft were observed.
Two years after surgical treatment there is no evidence of recurrence and there is still complete disappearance of pain with mobility of the wrist similar to the contralateral one, as well as a completely normalised radiological image of the scaphoid.