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The radiograph of the right shoulder showing the tumor in the right scapula before surgery. 

The radiograph of the right shoulder showing the tumor in the right scapula before surgery. 

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Chondrosarcoma is a common malignant bone tumor, which accounts for 20% of all malignant bone tumors. It often occurs in the long bones, but the incidence of scapular chondrosarcoma is rare. Here, we describe a case of a large chondrosarcoma occurring in the scapula which was treated with Malawer limb salvage surgery. The patient retained considera...

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... patient was in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki. A 59-year-old farmer with a personal history of a lump on his right scapula for the past five years was admitted to hospital. In two years prior to the first hospital visit, the lump had grown significantly and had re- stricted the activity of the right shoulder. The patient did not have a family history of tumors. Physical examination indicated no apparent spread to the superficial lymph nodes. There was a huge, irregular lump in the region of the right shoulder, with the superior border reaching the acromion, the left border reaching to 1 cm from the spinal column, the inferior border reaching the seventh rib, and the lateral border reaching the midaxillary line. The lump was nodular, hard and caused a pressing pain. There was an obscure boundary between the tumor and the surrounding tissues, the skin around the tumor was red but there was no venous en- gorgement or vascular pulsation (Figure 1). Fifty degree abduction of the right shoulder joint, 0° adduction, 30° flexion, 40° extension and 10° external and internal rota- tion were observed. The pulsation of the right ulnar artery and the right radial artery were good. Myodynamia of the main right upper extremities were as follows: supraspinatus at level III, deltoid at level IV, muscles of biceps brachii at level IV, extensor carpi at level IV, flexor digitorum profundus at level IV and abductor digiti quinti at level IV. The results of the vascular ultrasound of the right clavicle and the axilla were as follows: the axillary artery was visible in front of the tumor with smoothly flowing blood; there was an obvious boundary between the subclavian artery and the tumor with smoothly flowing blood. The results of the X-ray (Figure 2) and computer tomography (CT) scan (Figure 3) were as follows: a large high-density mass was seen in the right scapula and the surrounding tissue with multifocal calcification. As can be seen in the X-ray and the CT scan, the entire scapula was involved. In addition, the scapula showed osteolytic destruction without normal structure and the remaining scapula was embedded in the tumor tissue. There were no abnormalities adjacent to the ribs, humerus and thoracic vertebra. The isotope bone scan showed the con- centration of radioactivity in the right scapular area with abnormal mineral metabolism in the bones. The biopsy indicated grade II (out of III) chondrosarcoma. The diagnosis was as follows: chondrosarcoma in right scapular, Malawer S1 S2 district, Enniking II B district, grade II chondrosarcoma. Two weeks after hospitalization, the patient was treated with the Malawer III limb-reserving surgery under general anesthesia. The levator scapulae, rhomboid, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres muscles along the medial walls of the scapula were stripped and resected in an order based on the principles of wide resection. Simultaneously, the nerves and blood vessels that enter the tumor tissue were excised. The tumor was widely adherent to the surrounding soft tissue. Also, its relationship with the axillary artery and the subclavian artery was obscure. It was difficult to directly turn the rib. Under these circumstances, the inci- sion was extended, the clavicle was resected and then the teres was moved downward. There was quite a close relationship between the subclavian artery, the axillary artery and the tumor, but there was some separation with soft tissue envelope. The serratus anterior was partly cut down to completely expose the tumor (Figure 4 and Figure 5). The scapular was entirely embedded in the tumor tissue, hence it was removed while the tumor was resected. The size of the tumor was 33 × 28 × 25 cm. There was no involvement of the proximal humerus and the thoracic ver- tebrae. Then, the lesions and the surrounding tissue were obtained for pathological analysis. As the pathology results of the surrounding tissue were negative, the humerus was attached to the second rib with a steel wire, then the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and the rhomboid muscles were sutured. The trapezius, ectopectoralis and deltoid were sutured together. The brachialis, musculus biceps brachii and musculus triceps brachii were sutured together and fixed to the first rib. The brachy- cephaly of musculus biceps brachii was fixed to the second rib to ensure the balance of the shoulder joint (Figure 6). The patient was required to maintain his elbow in a flexed position with a bandage for three weeks. The postoperative X-ray showed that no tumor tissue remained (Figure 7). On the first postoperative day, the myodynamia and sensation of the major muscles under the right shoulder were the same as prior to the operation. On the third postoperative day, the patient exercised his hand and wrist functions with a patient controlled epidural analgesia. At postoperative week three, partly loading functional training was performed and at the sixth week, fully loading functional training was performed. The stitches were removed two weeks postoperatively without any complications. The pathology report was almost the same as that prior to the operation (Figure 8). The MSTS (Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score) score was 22 one year after the surgery. Postoperative radiography at 3, 6 and 18 months detected no tumor recurrence. There was no evidence of metastasis at the follow-up end ...

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Citations

... These tumors can arise in any anatomical region where cartilage is present, including the pelvis, femur, humerus, and ribs. However, scapular chondrosarcoma is relatively uncommon, representing only 5% to 7% of all reported chondrosarcoma cases in the literature [3]. ...
... Notably, chondrosarcoma is often resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. While radiotherapy can be utilized as an adjuvant treatment for high-grade tumors and in cases of residual disease, it is not typically effective as a standalone therapy [1][2][3]. ...
... It predominantly occurs in flat bones, with the scapula being a rare site of involvement, which is associated with a more favorable prognosis [2]. Typically, patients diagnosed with chondrosarcoma are middle-aged or elderly, exhibiting a slight male predominance [3]. The clinical presentation of this tumor is often nonspecific; patients may report a sudden increase in the size of a mass accompanied by pain. ...
... Only a few cases of limb salvage surgery were performed for extremely large scapular malignant tumors with unknown efficacy of such therapy. [3] Here, we report a case of large chondrosarcoma of the scapula and treated successfully with retained limb function. ...
... Chang et al. reported that type III Malawer limb-reserving surgery was successfully performed for large chondrosarcoma of the scapula in a 59-year-old male patient preserving limb function without any postoperative complication. [3] In our case, we performed type II intra-articular resection (partial scapulectomy) with partial resection of surrounding muscles, as described in case details. The patient retained limb function postoperatively, and no complications were reported. ...
... Chondrosarcoma, which frequently presents with histologically aggressive behavior, accounts for 20% of all malignant bone tumors. 1 It accounts for the highest incidence of malignant tumors in the scapula 2 and greatly inhibits shoulder function, distresses patients, and shortens their lifespan. Surgical resection is the standard of care for chondrosarcoma, as chemotherapy and radiation therapy have limited efficacy. ...
Article
Full-text available
Chondrosarcoma is characterized by the presence of histologically aggressive behavior, and commonly involves the scapula. Currently, limb salvage surgery is the recommended surgical treatment. Owing to the irregularity of the tumor, the suitability of an implant after tumor resection is a challenge for surgeons. Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has the potential to make personalized limb salvage surgery a reality. We report the case of a 53-year-old man who was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma of the scapula. Considering the low-grade malignancy and lack of invasion of the glenoid, we agreed upon segmental scapula replacement as the treatment protocol. Nevertheless, reconstruction of the irregular bony defect remaining after tumor resection can be complicated. Therefore, a personalized prosthesis and navigation template corresponding to tumor was designed with 3D printing technique, and tumor resection, prosthesis implantation, and rotator cuff reconstruction were completed. The affected shoulder achieved satisfactory function during a 32-month follow-up with no tumor recurrence. 3D printing technique can help implement the individualized design of the implant and accurate reconstruction after tumor resection, simplify complicated operations, improve operational efficiency, and allow early functional recovery.
... In a large series of bone tumours including 566 patients, most of the lesions were found to originate from the femur (39.9%), the tibia (17.7%) and the humerus (11.8%), while the scapula was affected in 1.6% of cases only [2]. Due to the rarity of these lesions, there is a paucity of published literature [1,3,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Most of the articles are case reports or include a limited number of patients with a bone tumour of the scapula [1,3,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. ...
... Due to the rarity of these lesions, there is a paucity of published literature [1,3,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Most of the articles are case reports or include a limited number of patients with a bone tumour of the scapula [1,3,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. ...
Article
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Backround: This study aimed to determine the frequency and distribution of bone tumours of the scapula as well as the histological and anatomical characteristics of these rare lesions in a large case series. Methods: The records of all lesions of the scapula collected from 1975 to 2018 in our bone tumour registry and institute of pathology were evaluated. During these 43 years, 223 cases were identified. Analysis included assessment of age, gender, side, imaging findings, tumour location, and histological evaluation with the assignment of each lesion to one of the bone tumours according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of bone tumours. Results: Bone tumours of the scapula were found in 193 cases. Mean patient age was 38.4 years (2.6-82.4). Most of the lesions were of cartilage origin (47%). 59 bone tumours were benign (30.6%), 29 were intermediate (15.0%), and 105 were malignant (54.4%). The most commonly found bone tumour was Osteochondroma (23.3%), followed by Chondrosarcoma (17.6%), Bone metastases (16.6%), Ewing sarcoma (8.8%), and Osteosarcoma (7.8%). The percentage of malignant bone tumours increased with increasing age. In patients >50 years of age, 91% had a malignant lesion of the scapula. Conclusions: Evaluation of 193 bone tumours of the scapula revealed a high incidence of malignancy in this series, while increased patient age was identified as a potential risk factor for the development of a malignant lesion of the scapula. These findings highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of suspicious lesions of the scapula to improve patient outcome.
... metastazující proces je často pozdní, ale je typické, že tyto tumory nejsou citlivé k chemoterapii ani radioterapii. Proto jsou tyto nádory v generalizovaném stadiu vždy fatální [3,4]. Vedle "klasických" chondrosarkomů existují i méně běžné varianty, jako jsou chondrosarkomy z čirých buněk, mesenchymální chondrosarkomy a nediferencované chondrosarkomy, které mají všechny velmi jedinečné biologické chování a patogenezi. ...
... Vedle "klasických" chondrosarkomů existují i méně běžné varianty, jako jsou chondrosarkomy z čirých buněk, mesenchymální chondrosarkomy a nediferencované chondrosarkomy, které mají všechny velmi jedinečné biologické chování a patogenezi. Jedinou účinnou terapií je v současné době chirurgická excize, která může být problematická u velkých nádorů, u nádorů s citlivými okolními strukturami nebo pokud se očekává významná ztráta funkce končetiny [3]. ...
... Všechny chondrosarkomy bez metastáz, bez ohledu na stupeň a typ, vyžadují širokou resekci, chceme--li zachovat možnost vyléčení [11]. To je dáno skutečností, že vykazují nízkou senzitivitu k chemoterapii i radioterapii [3,4]. Chondrosarkom je maligní nádor, a pokud není dostatečně léčen, má fatální průběh. ...
Article
Full-text available
Chondrosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor accounting for 20% of all malignant bone malignancies. We are presenting a case of a lower extremity recurrence of chondrosarcoma that encapsulated the anterior tibial artery and the fibular artery in a 35-year-old Caucasian male patient. The patient underwent a primary resection of a chondrosarcoma of the right lower extremity 3 years ago. The patient underwent regular MRI and CT check-ups of the affected lower extremity. The patient reported a hard palpable mass with intermittent pain attacks and occasional limb swelling on his right calf 3 years from the initial surgery. A CT scan revealed a new tumor arising from the tibial bone in the place of the original tumor resection.
... Skapula tümörleri arasında ilk sırada yer alan kondrosarkom, kemiğin ikinci sıklıkta karşılaşılan malign tümörüdür. Genellikle yeni kartilaj dokusundan köken almaktadır ve radyolojik olarak kortikal destrüksiyon, litik ya da ekspansil lezyon görünümü tipiktir [1][2][3]. Nadir görülmesi nedeniyle skapular kondrosarkom tedavisi halen tartışmalıdır [1,2,4]. Tedavinin temelini cerrahi oluşturmakla birlikte, kemoterapinin etkin olmadığı bildirilmekte ve cerrahi sonrası rezidüel tümör durumunda veya nüks ihtimali yüksek vakalarda tedaviye radyoterapi eklenmesi önerilmektedir [1,5]. ...
... Genellikle yeni kartilaj dokusundan köken almaktadır ve radyolojik olarak kortikal destrüksiyon, litik ya da ekspansil lezyon görünümü tipiktir [1][2][3]. Nadir görülmesi nedeniyle skapular kondrosarkom tedavisi halen tartışmalıdır [1,2,4]. Tedavinin temelini cerrahi oluşturmakla birlikte, kemoterapinin etkin olmadığı bildirilmekte ve cerrahi sonrası rezidüel tümör durumunda veya nüks ihtimali yüksek vakalarda tedaviye radyoterapi eklenmesi önerilmektedir [1,5]. ...
... Kondrosarkomlar sıklıkla pelvis ve femur proksimalinde görülen, patolojik olarak heterojen tümörlerdir [2,6]. Tümörün skapulada yerleşimi nadir olup, tüm kondrosarkomların %5-7'sini oluştururlar. ...
Article
Full-text available
Chondrosarcoma originating from scapula is a rare occurrence accounting 5-7% of all bone chondrosarcomas. They generally originate from new cartilaginous tissue and radiologically the lesion shows cortical destruction with lytic or expansile features. Although the main stay of the treatment is surgery, the efficacy of chemotherapy and adjuvant therapy in case of residual tumour is still contradictory due to its rare occurrence. Here we present a 56-year-old woman with a swelling on her lump who was diagnosed as scapular chondrosarcoma. Here, the diagnosis and treatment and the approach to the microscopic residual tumour after surgical intervention was presented with the review of relevant literature.