Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of soft tissues of the calf

Mesenchymal chondrosarcomas are distinct from conventional and dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas and are quite rare, making up less than 2% of all chondrosarcomas. We describe a mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the soft tissues of the calf and review the differential diagnosis of this poorly understood entity.     

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma

A mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in a 17-year-old women is presented.     

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the sellar region

Summary ¶Background. It is known that, although rare, mesenchymal chondrosarcoma can originate intracranially. However, no such malignant tumour has been described in the sellar region. Clinical presentation. We report a case of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in a 21-year-old man who presented with double vision, right blepharoptosis and facial pain. Upon initial admission, no endocrinological abnormalities were found, and computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass with calcification in the sella and right cavernous sinus. Intervention. For this malignant tumour, three surgical resections, two sessions of gamma-knife radiosurgery, one session of fractional irradiation, and one cycle of chemotherapy were performed, resulting in only brief arrest of the tumour growth. Pathologically, the tumour consisted of undifferentiated small cells of high cellularity, and islands of hyaline cartilage. The undifferentiated small cells showed immunoreactivity for vimentin and ultrastructural features suggesting a mesenchymal origin. Lacunar cells in the islands were immunopositive for S-100 protein and vimentin. Conclusion. Although malignant tumours in the sellar region are rare, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of various sellar tumours typified by non-functioning pituitary adenoma, and mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is one possible candidate.Published online July 16, 2003     

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma originating from the femoral vein

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare variant of chondrosarcomas characterized by a bimorphic pattern with areas of the undifferentiated malignant small cells and well differentiated cartilaginous islands.(1) It occurs most commonly in the bone but can also occur in the extraskeletal soft tissues, the brain, and the meninges. This type of tumor has also been described in the eyelids, parapharyngeal space, mediastinum, and the kidney.(1-5) An origin from the large vessels has not been reported in the medical literature. The authors report a case of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma originating from the femoral vein in a 28-year-old female patient, treated by the wide-margin resection.     

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the rib: Report of a case

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare malignant cartilaginous tumor arising within the bone or soft tissue. An 18-year-old woman presented with a tumor on her left fourth rib. We performed a wide resection of the tumor and administered three cycles of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Three years after the operation, the patient is alive without any evidence of either local recurrence or distant metastases. The findings of this case may thus support the usefulness of a radical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy for mesenchymal chondrosarcoma.     

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma associated with Goldenhar’s syndrome

Goldenhar’s syndrome is characterised by bony abnormalities of the face, jaw and vertebral column. We report the first case of the development of a primary malignant neoplasm (mesenchymal chondrosarcoma) initially misdiagnosed as a meningioma, occurring in association with this syndrome. Received: 6 October 1997     

Mesenchymal extraskeletal chondrosarcoma of the orbit. Report of a case and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (MCS) is relatively uncommon. Orbital location is extremely rare: only 16 cases have been reported until now. We report a case of extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in a 27-year-old man and review the literature on its manifestations and management. CASE REPORT: This patient had a 2-year history of progressive proptosis of the right eye. Skull X-ray and CT scan showed intraorbital calcification and a large lesion in the upper right orbit. He was operated three times because of recurrence of the tumor. The last recurrence was observed to have extension to the intracranial region, detected on MRI and CT scan. This secondary extension of the tumor to the intracranial region has not been previously reported. Immunohistochemical analysis for S-100 protein showed focal positivity. CONCLUSION: Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the orbit is rare, and secondary extension to the intracranial region has not previously been reported.