Cartilage-forming Tumors Research Articles

Expression of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor by Cartilage-forming Tumors of Bone: An Immunohistochemical Study

Recent studies have implicated leukemia inhibitory factor in connective-tissue metabolism involving the remodeling of bone and the destruction of cartilage tissue. This cytokine, which has also been implicated in the proliferation of solid tumor, is expressed by osteotropic tumor cell lines. The present study investigated the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor in cartilage tissue harvested from cartilage-forming bone tumors. Immunohistochemical study showed that it was present in all benign enchondromas (n = 8) and malignant chondrosarcomas (n = 6) but not in control tissue (n = 3). The cytokine was localized in only cytoplasmic areas of cartilage cells. The number of stained cells ranged from less than 5% in enchondroma of the hand to more than 70% in grade-III chondrosarcoma. Moreover, high levels of leukemia inhibitory factor were found in the primary culture of tumor tissues (n = 7). These results question the significance of leukemia inhibitory factor in tumor-associated bone resorption and the potential role of this cytokine as a prognostic marker.

Expression of leukemia inhibitory factor by cartilage-forming tumors of bone: an immunohistochemical study.

Recent studies have implicated leukemia inhibitory factor in connective-tissue metabolism involving the remodeling of bone and the destruction of cartilage tissue. This cytokine, which has also been implicated in the proliferation of solid tumor, is expressed by osteotropic tumor cell lines. The present study investigated the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor in cartilage tissue harvested from cartilage-forming bone tumors. Immunohistochemical study showed that it was present in all benign enchondromas (n = 8) and malignant chondrosarcomas (n = 6) but not in control tissue (n = 3). The cytokine was localized in only cytoplasmic areas of cartilage cells. The number of stained cells ranged from less than 5% in enchondroma of the hand to more than 70% in grade-III chondrosarcoma. Moreover, high levels of leukemia inhibitory factor were found in the primary culture of tumor tissues (n = 7). These results question the significance of leukemia inhibitory factor in tumor-associated bone resorption and the potential role of this cytokine as a prognostic marker.

About Primary Malignant Chondroblastoma

According to the WHO histological classification of tumors (1972), chondroblastoma of bone belongs to benign cartilage-forming tumors. However, later literature data indicate the possibility of its malignancy. T.P. Vinogradova mentions its malignant form along with benign chondroblastoma, noting that "each benign form of tumor, as a rule, has its malignant analogue". There are 20 cases of malignant chondroblastoma described in the world literature and there are brief mentions of another 8 such cases. The work of V.N. Burdygin, A.K. Morozov and S.I. Lipkin [1] reports 6 own observations, A.K. Morozov reports 8 malignant chondroblastomas out of 113 studied, the publication of S.I. Lipkin - about 13 malignant chondroblastomas and 3 clear cell chondrosarcomas, which probably arose on the basis of chondroblastoma malignancy; according to V.L. Kotov and S.I. Lipkin, in 13 of 225 patients with chondroblastoma the tumor was verified as malignant.

Spinal chondroma of the lumbar tract: Case report

Cartilage-forming tumors are benign cartilaginous tumors that rarely affect the spinal canal: they account for 2% of all spinal tumors and 2.6% of all benign bone tumors. Pathologically, they may be classified as chondromas, osteochondromas, chondroblastomas, and chondromyxoid fibromas. This oncotype may remain asymptomatic (it is confined within the vertebral structure) or may present as a hard paravertebral swelling (it invades the paravertebral structures) or more rarely, with a slowly-developing neurologic syndrome (it extends into the vertebral canal). Thirty-one cases have been reported (including our case) of benign cartilage-forming tumors localized in the lumbar column. Only three cases of chondroma of the lumbar spine presented with lumbar radicular pain. We report a fourth case and review clinical and radiologic characteristics of these lesions. Eleven out of the 31 cases were diagnosed as chondromas, 17 as osteochondromas, while in three cases the histopathologic diagnosis was not reported. Seventeen cases originated from the neural arch, seven from the vertebral body, two from the spinous process, and in five cases the exact localization was not reported. This tumor is more frequent in males (21 cases out of 31), than in females (five cases); in five cases the sex was not reported. Mean duration of symptoms was 23 +/- 5.1 months (range: 1-96); chondromas have a short clinical history before diagnosis (13.8 +/- 3.4 months) compared to osteochondromas (28.6 +/- 7.6). Clinical presentation with local swelling is reported in 10 cases, in 10 cases local pain without radicular irradiation, in six cases lumbar pain with sciatica, in two cases signs and symptoms of cord compression, one case of cauda syndrome, while in four cases no clinical details are reported. Among the six cases presenting with sciatica, four were chondromas (in all cases the L4 level was involved), and one osteochondroma, while in one case the histopathologic diagnosis was not reported. Computed tomography is important and indispensable for preoperative diagnosis, giving a precise indication of tumor extent and location and its relationship to the adjacent structures; while MRI is helpful in detecting patterns related to histologic malignancy. It is important to examine the whole tumor histologically because it is known that there may be small areas that show signs of malignancy; thus is more likely in chondromas than osteochondromas.

Diagnostic Difficulties in Skeletal Pathology

In this review are discussed a small group of bone tumors that present the greatest and sometimes unresolved problems in diagnosis, not only for the clinician but also for the pathologist, even with full knowledge of the clinical and roentgenologic presentation. The following neoplastic lesions are described in detail: cartilage-forming tumors, bone-forming tumors (with special emphasis on aggressive or malignant osteoblastoma), and round-cell tumors of bone. This last group presents a special challenge to the pathologist even after histopathologic examination. Some newer, more sophisticated methods are discussed, especially those applied in the differential diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma and tumors of neuroectodermal origin.

Immunocytochemical identification of osteogenic bone tumors by osteonectin antibodies

18 bone-forming tumours and tumour-like lesions were investigated immunocytochemically for the presence of osteonectin. A group of non-bone-forming skeletal tumours (five cartilage-forming tumours, four Ewing sarcomas and five extraskeletal sarcomas) served as controls. The studies showed that osteonectin antibodies react reliably with benign and malignant bone-forming tumours (two cases of fibrous dysplasia, three osteoid osteomas, 13 osteosarcomas). This finding was supported by protein blot studies. Osteonectin is formed by cells which do not yet possess the morphological phenotype of osteoblasts and may be regarded as a "differentiation marker" of the osteoblastic lineage. Only chondroid bone (tissue in which chondrocytes were surrounded by osteoid matrix containing type I and type II collagen) showed a positive reaction. All other primary skeletal tumours and extraskeletal soft tissue tumours were completely negative.

Bone Tumors, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prognosis

This is a carefully written text on the relatively uncommon primary tumors of bone. It lacks an introductory chapter with a table of classification. However, the headings for groupings of chapters accomplish the same purpose. These headings include benign and malignant bone-forming tumors, benign and malignant cartilage-forming tumors, tumors of fibrous connective tissue origin, tumors of histiocytic or fibrohistiocytic origin, Ewing's tumor, tumors of blood vessels, chordoma, malignant lymphomas and leukemias, myeloma, adamantinoma, and eosinophilic granuloma. Each chapter deals, where applicable, with the following items for any particular type of tumor: definition; synonyms; historical aspects; incidence; signs and symptoms; location; pathogenesis; age and sex distribution; roentgenographic features; pathological changes, including gross, light microscopic, and ultrastructural; therapy; and prognosis. There is an extensive and up-to-date bibliography at the end of each chapter. The illustrations are in black and white and of good quality. This is a book that provides a historical