Imaging diagnosis and differential diagnosis of extraskeletal osteosarcoma

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical, imaging and pathological features of extraskeletal osteosarcoma (EOS) and to improve the understanding of this disease and other similar lesions.

The data for 11 patients with pathologically confirmed extraosseous osteosarcoma, including tumour site and size and imaging and clinical manifestations, were analysed retrospectively.

Six patients were male (60%), and 5 were female (40%); patient age ranged from 23 to 76 years (average age 47.1 years). Among the 11 patients, 7 had clear calcifications or ossification with different morphologies, and 2 patients showed a massive mature bone tumour. MRI showed a mixed-signal mass with slightly longer T1 and T2 signals in the tumour parenchyma. Enhanced CT and MRI scans showed enhancement in the parenchyma. Ten patients had different degrees of necrosis and cystic degeneration in the mass, 2 of whom were complicated with haemorrhage, and MRI showed “fluid‒fluid level” signs. Of the 11 patients, five patients survived after surgery, and no obvious recurrence or metastasis was found on imaging examination. One patient died of lung metastasis after surgery, and 2 patients with open biopsy died of disease progression. One patient died of respiratory failure 2 months after operation. 2 patients had positive surgical margins, and 1 had lung metastasis 6 months after operation and died 19 months after operation. Another patient had recurrence 2 months after surgery.

The diagnosis of EOS requires a combination of clinical, imaging and histological examinations. Cystic degeneration and necrosis; mineralization is common, especially thick and lumpy mineralization. Extended resection is still the first choice for localized lesions. For patients with positive surgical margins or metastases, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy is needed.