[Morphological characteristics of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma]

Complex morphological examination of 11 cases of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is performed. This tumour has sufficiently characteristic clinical and morphological features distinguishing it from a usual chondrosarcoma. Clinically, mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is characterised by a shorter anamnesis of the disease, a rapid course and shorter life-span. It occurs more frequently during the 2nd and 3rd decades of life. Histologically, apart from the structures characteristic of typical chondrosarcoma, poorly differentiated areas resembling hemangiopericytoma occur and sometimes predominate. Electron microscopic examination of the differentiated parts of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma revealed the presence of cells with chondroid direction of the structurally-functional differentiation while in the areas with pericytal structures there were found structurally and functionally undifferentiated cells.