Telangiectatic osteogenic sarcoma

Of approximately 1,999 cases of osteogenic sarcomas at the Mayo Clinic, 25 were diagnosed as telangiectatic osteogenic sarcomas. Of the 25 patients involved, 16 were males and 9 were females, and their ages ranged from 6 to 49 years. Six patients had had pathologic fracture. The lesions were typically located centrally and usually in the distal femur or proximal humerus and roentgenographically were large and purely lytic with destruction of cortex. Grossly, the lesions were cystic and contained clotted blood. Histologically, cystic spaces that contained blood were lined with anaplastic spindle cells and benign giant cells; sometimes, there were so few malignant cells that diagnosis was difficult. Usually, fine, lacelike osteoid was present. Of the 25 patients, 23 have died of metastatic disease, and another has developed pulmonary metastasis 11 months after amputation. Only one patient has survived for more than five years; however, he has developed pneumothorax. Data from this series suggest that the outlook in telangiectatic osteogenic sarcoma is more bleak than in conventional osteosarcoma.