[Imaging of primary osteosarcoma]

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumour with the exception of myeloma. The majority of osteosarcoma cases arise within bone and are called conventional osteosarcoma. Intraosseous variants include telangiectatic, small-cell, low-grade intraosseous and cortical osteosarcoma. Less than 10% of osteosarcomas arise on the surface of bone and are subdivided into periosteal, high-grade surface and parosteal varieties. The imaging features of these subtypes of osteosarcoma are described and the impact on diagnosis highlighted. Using material from over 750 osteosarcomas treated at the author's centre, this article reviews the role of imaging in the management of this condition. Detection still relies principally on the conventional radiograph with bone scintigraphy and MR imaging useful in occult tumours. Establishing the radiological diagnosis depends on careful analysis of the radiographs, with particular attention paid to the nature and extent of bone destruction, periosteal new bone formation and matrix mineralization. The prudent radiologist will be wary of those bone conditions, such as stress fractures and osteomyelitis, which are frequently mistaken for osteosarcoma. Appropriate surgical staging requires MR imaging of the primary tumour to show the bony and soft tissue extent of the lesion and to confirm/exclude skip metastases and local lymph-node involvement. Staging should also include bone scintigraphy to confirm/exclude multiple lesions and chest CT to confirm/exclude pulmonary metastases. Following definitive surgery, imaging is used in the follow-up to monitor potential local recurrence and the development of pulmonary or osseous metastases.