A Systematic Review of Cutaneous Involvement in Metastatic Bone Sarcomas: Insights from 102 Reported Cases

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Pathology

Background:

• Cutaneous metastases from primary bone sarcomas are rare and present diagnostic challenges due to atypical presentations.
• Understanding their clinical patterns, temporal relationships, and prognostic implications is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and characterize cutaneous metastases across major bone sarcoma histologies.
• To describe clinical patterns, temporal aspects, and prognostic factors associated with these rare occurrences.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search identified cases of cutaneous metastases from osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chordoma.
• Data extraction included demographics, primary tumor site, lesion characteristics, latency, morphology, and outcomes.
• Descriptive analysis was performed on the collected data.

Main Results:

• 102 cases were identified; chordoma was the most frequent histology.
• Osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma typically presented with multiple lesions and poor prognosis.
• Chordoma showed solitary or skin-dominant metastases with longer latency and occasional favorable outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Cutaneous metastases in bone sarcomas exhibit heterogeneous behavior.
• Chordoma demonstrates a more indolent and potentially manageable pattern compared to other bone sarcomas.
• Increased clinical awareness is essential for timely diagnosis and optimized management of bone sarcoma skin metastases.