Extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma: an imaging review of ten new patients.
OBJECTIVE
Extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (EMC) is a rare soft-tissue tumor that most arises in young adults. Because of its rarity, few imaging studies have been reported to date. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the imaging features of this tumor.


METHODS
We conducted a multi-institutional study in cooperation with five referral cancer centers in Japan. Imaging findings of ten new EMC cases, including conventional radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), performed at each institute, were reviewed along with clinical features.


METHODS
Ten patients with EMC, who had been treated at each hospital from 1990 to 2001, participated in this study.


CONCLUSIONS
Soft-tissue masses with well-demarcated, dense and granular calcification were most frequently observed on plain radiographs and CT scans. T2-weighted MR images most clearly depicted a two-component structure composed of calcified and uncalcified areas, and enhanced MRI showed inhomogeneous enhancement in both areas. Although the sensitivity and specificity of these findings are unknown, they might be characteristic and have diagnostic value for this rare tumor.
Hashimoto
N
N
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 567-8511, Japan. hashinob-ouh@umin.ac.jp
Ueda
T
T
Joyama
S
S
Araki
N
N
Beppu
Y
Y
Tatezaki
S
S
Matsumoto
S
S
Nakanishi
K
K
Tomita
Y
Y
Yoshikawa
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018211:Chondrosarcoma, Mesenchymal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007866:Leg; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013848:Thigh; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome