title: Bone resection in patients with mandibular sarcoma.
abstract: Thirty-nine cases of mandibular sarcoma were reported to the Finnish Cancer Registry during the period 1953-1985. In 11 of these (nine osteosarcomas, one chondrosarcoma, one leiomyosarcoma), the pre- and postoperative radiographs were still available, and they were analyzed in order to evaluate the radicality of the primary surgical procedure in relation to recurrences during the follow-up. On the basis of several radiological details, the resection was considered inadequate in seven cases. One operation was probably inadequate because of rather scanty margins. In only three cases had an adequate primary resection with proper safety margins been performed. All of the seven patients with inadequate primary surgery had recurrence and five of them died of local disease or metastases, whereas only one of the three patients with adequate resection had recurrence in adjacent soft tissues. It is concluded, that radiological findings of mandibular sarcoma that often are missed include widening of the mandibular canal and disappearance of the lamina dura. Proper preoperative radiological examination resulting in more radical primary surgery would certainly decrease the recurrence and mortality rates in patients with mandibular sarcoma.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Maxillofacial Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Söderholm
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindqvist
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teppo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography