A case of primary vertebral osteosarcoma metastasizing to pancreas.
BACKGROUND
Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents and possesses a high potential for metastasis. The most common sites of osteosarcomatous metastases are the lungs, pleurae, and bone; the pancreas being extremely rare.


METHODS
We report the computed tomography findings of a rare case of pancreatic metastasis in a 14-year-old boy with primary vertebral osteosarcoma being followed-up for 6 years. On abdominal CT, a huge mass containing necrotic and calcified areas and causing bone destruction was seen between thoracic vertebra 7 and sacral vertebra 1 involving both the vertebrae and paravertebral soft-tissue. A large metastatic mass with an irregular contour was also visualized in the pancreatic head and peripancreatic region having tomographic findings similar to the vertebral mass. Tru-cut biopsy of the pancreatic mass confirmed the diagnosis of osteosarcoma metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Although extremely rare, osteosarcoma metastasis should be included in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic mass lesions, particularly in patients with a primary tumor.
Avcu
Serhat
S
Department of Radiology, Yüzüncü Yil University School of Medicine, Van, Turkey. serhatavcu@hotmail.com
Akdeniz
Hüseyin
H
Arslan
Harun
H
Toprak
Nurşen
N
Unal
Ozkan
O
D000293:Adolescent; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed