Periosteal chondroma is a slowly growing cartilage tumor of limited size, which develops within and beneath the periosteal connective tissue and characteristically erodes and induces sclerosis of the contiguous cortical bone. The typical morphology of this tumor consists of an area of outer cortex scalloping involving the metaphyseal lesion of a long bone with slightly overhanging edges and a small amount of cartilage calcified matrix adjacent to the scalloping. Histologically this benign tumor can mimic chondrosarcoma. Awareness of this fact is important in order to avoid overdiagnosis and resultant overtreatment of the benign lesion. We report three cases of periosteal chondromas arising in the phalangeal bones of the hand. All were treated by curettage. No local recurrence was seen following this treatment.