title: Clinical and histopathological profile of primary or secondary osteosarcoma of the jaws.
abstract: Osteosarcoma of the jaw is a rare disease; we report two cases, one in which the primary osteosarcoma had occurred in the sacrum and ileum, the second at the mandible. Dissemination of osteosarcoma to other organs, especially early dissemination to the lung, is common, but metastasis to the jaw has only rarely been reported. About 10% of osteosarcomas occur in the head and neck, most in the mandible or maxilla. Clinically, both patients presented swelling, and pain at the jaw in the premolar-molar region. At radiography, extensive bone erosion and soft-tissue swelling were apparent. A biopsy was taken and a diagnosis of osteosarcoma rendered in both cases. Histological examination revealed a proliferation of atypical osteoblast-like cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and formation of scattered neoplastic osteoid tissue. Immunohistochemistry for a panel of antibodies showed strong positivity for CD99, weak positivity for S-100, but was negative for desmin, vimentin, and cytokeratins. The diagnosis for both cases was of osteogenic osteosarcoma, chondroblastic subtype. Unfortunately, both patients died, one before the planned chemotherapy regime could begin, the second during the chemotherapy course. Our report aims to highlight the importance of the diagnostic profile in formulating a diagnosis of osteosarcoma, and that this tumor, although very rare, may be primary or may metastasize to the jaws.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Science, Dentistry, and Biophysics, University of Genoa, Italy. f.angiero@teos.it
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angiero
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moltrasio
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cattoretti
authors.forename: Maria Gabriella
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Valente
mesh_terms: D000071443:12E7 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001706:Biopsy; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003893:Desmin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007573:Jaw Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D007633:Keratins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000071443:12E7 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; C061828:CD99 protein, human; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D003893:Desmin; D009418:S100 Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; D007633:Keratins