Ewing's sarcoma

This patient had Ewing's sarcoma of the femur, which was originally misinterpreted by radiograph and by biopsy as osteomyelitis. For approximately 1 year the patient was treated for osteomyelitis. The lesion was slowly progressive and near the end of the first year became more active, and pulmonary metastases appeared. The natural behavior of this one case of Ewing's sarcoma demonstrates that it is not necessarily an overwhelmingly aggressive tumor. In addition, the point is made that pathologists should pay careful attention to necrotic material so that the suggestion of necrotic tumor can be made rather than dismissing the biopsy as nondiagnostic.