Bone metastases in hypernephroma. Frequency of scapular involvement

A consecutive series of 95 patients with hypernephroma was studied retrospectively after it was clinically suspected that there was a propensity for this tumor to metastasize to the scapula. Fifteen patients (15.8%) have developed scapular metastases which account for 36.6% of all bone metastases in this series, the majority of which required radiotherapy for pain relief. The scapula was a solitary site of bone metastasis in the majority of patients, and, even when associated with other bone lesions, was frequently an isolated site of pain. A comparative series of 40 consecutive patients with breast cancer metastatic to bone was retrospectively studied. Twenty-five percent of these showed scapular metastases but these were all in association with multiple (greater than 3) other bone metastases; none was symptomatic or required treatment. There was a suggestion that hypernephromas spread more often to the ipsilateral scapula, but the trend did not reach statistical significance. Scapular metastasis in hypernephroma is a common and clinically significant problem, sometimes giving a clue to the primary site. The cause for this predilection is not known.