OBJECTIVETo evaluate the diagnostic criteria and morphologic difference of primary schwannoma from that of soft tissue schwannoma.

METHODSAll neurogenic tumors of the bone in this hospital from 2002 to 2013 were reviewed, four cases of primary schwannoma arising from bone were selected. Their clinical features, radiologic appearance and pathologic findings were evaluated. Immunophenotyping was performed using EnVision method.

RESULTSAll four cases had classic morphologic features and immunophenotype of conventional schwannoma. Compared with schwannoma of the soft tissue, primary bone schwannoma had the following features: benign radiological appearance, absence of capsule under light microscope, local infiltration of bone or destruction of bone cortex, occasionally involving extra-osseous soft tissue. Most tumors were solid, with less cystic degeneration. Histologically, the tumors were mainly composed of compact areas of spindle cells (Antoni A), and areas of hypercellularity could often be observed.

CONCLUSIONSPrimary schwannoma of the bone is rare, usually arises within the long bones and flat bones. Compared to conventional soft tissue schwannoma, it shows different growth pattern, imaging and pathologic features; thus care should be exercised not to misdiagnose schwannoma of the bone as other primary low-grade malignant spindle cell sarcoma of the bone and to avoid unnecessary over-treatment.

Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Neurilemmoma ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Radiography ; Sarcoma ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology

Primary pericardial sarcomas are extremely rare. The authors report a case of a 46-yr-old woman in whom a large mediastinal mass was discovered. The patient presented with cough, dyspnea, and orthopnea. Diagnostic investigations, such as echocardiography, computed tomography, and exploratory thoracotomy provided the evidence of a large mass in the mediastinum, attached by a broad base to the superior portion of the pericardium. A excisional biopsy was performed, and histologic examination of a biopsy specimen showed undifferentiated sarcoma. However, the complete removal of the mass was impossible due to adhesion to the adjacent great vessels. After the completion of the chemotherapy the patient was completely asymptomatic. However, follow-up transesophageal echocardiography showed a residual 3x4 cm-sized mass. The patient received the radiotherapy with a total dose of 55 Gy over 6 weeks. At present, there is no evidence of disease progression.
Biopsy ; Cough ; Disease Progression ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Human ; Mediastinal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/radiography ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Sarcoma/*diagnosis/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Malignant kidney neoplasms are the most frequently encountered solid kidney masses. Although renal cell carcinoma is the major renal malignancy, other solid malignant renal masses should be considered in the differential diagnosis of solid renal masses that do not contain a macroscopic fatty component. In this pictorial essay, we present the imaging findings of a primitive neuroectodermal tumor, primary liposarcoma of the kidney, primary neuroendocrine tumor, leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, sclerosing fibrosarcoma and renal metastasis of osteosarcoma.
Bone Neoplasms/secondary ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology/radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibrosarcoma/radiography ; Histiocytoma/radiography ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms/*pathology/radiography ; Leiomyosarcoma/pathology/radiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive/pathology/radiography ; Osteosarcoma/pathology ; Sarcoma ; Sarcoma, Synovial/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Although the head and neck region is recognized as the most common location for peripheral nerve sheath tumors, central involvement, particularly in the jaw bones, is quite unusual. Neurofibroma is one of the most common nerve sheath tumors occurring in the soft tissue and generally appears in neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1 or von Recklinghausen's disease). Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are uncommon sarcomas that almost always arise in the soft tissue. Here, we report four cases of intraosseous peripheral nerve sheath tumors occurring in the jaw bones and compare the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings in order to make a differential diagnosis.
X-Rays ; Sarcoma/*diagnosis ; Neurofibromatoses/pathology ; Neurofibroma/*pathology ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Male ; Jaw/*radiography ; Humans ; Female ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Child ; Bone Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Adult ; Adolescent

Nodular fasciitis is a benign, reactive myofibroblastic tumor that is often mistaken for a sarcoma because of its histological appearance and rapid growth. Involvement of a finger is extremely rare. We report a case of nodular fasciitis of the thumb, accompanied by bone erosion. Magnetic resonance findings suggested the possibility of a malignancy, which could have led to misdiagnosis as a malignant soft tissue sarcoma. Instead, the lesion was treated by excisional biopsy, which confirmed nodular fasciitis. There has been no evidence of local recurrence at recent follow-up, 1 year after surgery. This case illustrates that, to avoid unnecessarily aggressive surgery, nodular fasciitis must be included in the differential diagnosis for any finger lesion that resembles a sarcoma, even if bone erosion is present.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fasciitis/*diagnosis/surgery ; Female ; Finger Phalanges/pathology/*radiography ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Sarcoma/*diagnosis ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Thumb/*pathology/surgery

Nodular fasciitis is a benign, reactive myofibroblastic tumor that is often mistaken for a sarcoma because of its histological appearance and rapid growth. Involvement of a finger is extremely rare. We report a case of nodular fasciitis of the thumb, accompanied by bone erosion. Magnetic resonance findings suggested the possibility of a malignancy, which could have led to misdiagnosis as a malignant soft tissue sarcoma. Instead, the lesion was treated by excisional biopsy, which confirmed nodular fasciitis. There has been no evidence of local recurrence at recent follow-up, 1 year after surgery. This case illustrates that, to avoid unnecessarily aggressive surgery, nodular fasciitis must be included in the differential diagnosis for any finger lesion that resembles a sarcoma, even if bone erosion is present.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fasciitis/*diagnosis/surgery ; Female ; Finger Phalanges/pathology/*radiography ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Sarcoma/*diagnosis ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Thumb/*pathology/surgery

Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma is a rare highly lethal disease, with additional retrograde extension to pulmonic valve and right ventricle being an extremely rare condition. It is frequently mistaken for pulmonary thromboembolism. We report a case of 64-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea initially suspected and treated for pulmonary thromboembolism. Her helical chest CT scan with 3 dimensional (3D) reconstruction combined with echocardiography revealed a compacting main pulmonary artery mass extending to the right ventricular outflow tract and the right pulmonary artery. After excision of the mass, the patient's condition improved dramatically, and the pathologic findings revealed pulmonary intimal sarcoma. This report emphasizes that helical chest CT with 3D reconstruction can be an important tool to differentiate the characteristics of pulmonary artery lesions, such as intimal sarcoma and thromboembolism.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Human ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Artery/pathology/*radiography ; Sarcoma/pathology/*radiography/ultrasonography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods ; Tunica Intima/pathology/radiography ; Vascular Neoplasms/pathology/*radiography/ultrasonography

Here we report a case in a 41-year-old woman histologically proven cystic embryonal sarcoma of the kidney, with emphasis on the imaging findings and pathological features. A large lobulated solid mass in the cystically dilated pelvocalyceal region was accompanied with hydroureter as depicted on both ultrasound and contrast-enhanced CT images.
Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods ; Kidney/radiography/surgery/ultrasonography ; Kidney Neoplasms/*radiography/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/*radiography/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Sarcoma/*radiography/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods

Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm and little is known about its radiological features. We present here four cases of follicular dendritic cell sarcomas and we provide the image characteristics of these tumors to help radiologists recognize this entity when making a diagnosis.
Adult ; Dendritic Cell Sarcoma, Follicular/pathology/*radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/radiography ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/pathology/radiography ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms/radiography ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Osteochondromas are common and typically arise from the metaphyseal ends of long bones. An osteochondral neoplasm of the soft tissue, which is a lesion of uncertain pathogenesis, is uncommon and usually arises from the synovial tissue in joints and tendon sheaths. Rarely, extraskeletal osteochondromas also arise outside of synovial compartments. Most of the reported cases were presented in the hands and feet, especially in the fingers. Here we describe a 44-yr-old female patient who presented with a pain in the left buttock. A well-defined osseous mass was detected in the buttock. It consisted of sharply demarcated, mature hyaline cartilage that was covered with a fibrous capsule, which changed gradually into cancellous bone, more pronouncedly at the center. The diagnosis of an extraskeletal osteochondroma should be considered when a discrete, ossified mass is localized in the soft tissues. A case of pathologically proven extraskeletal osteochondroma of the buttock is presented with a literature review, magnetic resonance imaging, and radiological findings.
Accidental Falls ; Adult ; Buttocks* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Human ; Myositis Ossificans/diagnosis ; Osteochondroma/complications ; Osteochondroma/diagnosis* ; Osteochondroma/radiography ; Osteochondroma/surgery ; Pain/etiology ; Sarcoma/diagnosis ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms/complications ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms/radiography ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms/surgery