Skeletal recurrences and metastases of extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to elucidate clinical and imaging features of skeletal involvement, recurrences, and metastases of extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Included in this series are 4 patients, aged 44 to 65 years, 3 of whom were men and 1 a woman.

RESULTS

The primary lesions were in the thigh (n = 3) and the upper arm (n = 1). Three patients with multiple metastases died of the disease, 2 were considered to have local recurrence in the adjacent bone. Skeletal metastases occurred after lung metastases in 2 cases, and before lung metastases in 1 case. Typical imaging findings are well-defined lesions with no sclerotic margin or matrix mineralization. A slow, but persistent growth is noted on the imaging features.

CONCLUSION

Although skeletal metastases of chondrosarcoma of bone and soft tissue are rare, myxoid chondrosarcomas, currently classified tumors of uncertain differentiation, rarely metastasize and/or recur in the bones. The imaging features are typically of a localized lesion with cortical disruption or expansion.