A rare case of primary chondrosarcoma arising from the sternum: A case report

Abstract

The current study reports a case of an extremely rare tumor that presented in an uncommon location, which was successfully treated via radical resection and reconstruction. A 37-year-old female, with no notable medical history, with the exception of a cesarean delivery, was admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Wenzhou, China) due to pain and a lump of the anterior chest wall. The mass was identified on the manubrium sterni and was not tender on palpation. A chest computed tomography (CT) scan reconstruction identified the abnormal mass on the manubrium sterni (size, 5×4 cm in diameter) and positron emission tomography-CT interpretation strongly indicated a type of well-differentiated malignant tumor, such as a giant cell tumor. An aspiration needle biopsy was not conducted, however, the patient underwent tumor radical resection and sternal reconstruction using steel wire and titanium mesh. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen determined the diagnosis of chondrosarcoma. A postoperative chest X-ray revealed that the sternal defect had repaired well, therefore, this procedure may be highly beneficial in future for repairing defects in the sternum.

Giant Sternal Chondrosarcoma in a 50-Year-Old Patient

“…Thus, complete resection of the primary neoplasia is the main determinant of survival [ 12 , 13 ]. The purpose and aim of the surgical intervention must be a wide resection, in order to increase the quality of life of the patient [ 3 , 14 ]. A multidisciplinary team is considered to be of great importance in complex cases as it offers a balanced and complementary approach for optimal patient care [ 15 ].…”

“…Primary malignant tumors of the thoracic wall are quite rare, representing approximately 1% of all neoplasms [ 1 ]. Chondrosarcoma represents the most frequent thoracic wall tumor, making up around 20% of the total cases, and from the medical literature we know that a sternal origin is four times rarer than a cartilaginous origin [ 2 , 3 ]. As the gold standard, a complete resection of the primary tumor is the best therapeutical option for sternal chondrosarcomas today [ 3 , 4 ].…”

Grade 1 and 2 Chondrosarcomas of the Chest Wall: CT Imaging Features and Review of the Literature

“…Chondrosarcomas (CS) of the chest wall are rare lesions, but they represent the most common primary malignant bone tumors of the chest wall [ 1 , 2 ]. Both primary [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ] and secondary forms of CS [ 11 , 12 , 13 ] have previously been reported.…”

“…The imaging features of CS of the chest wall have been insufficiently described, with limited reports depicting the imaging features for radiography [ 6 , 7 , 9 ], cross-sectional imaging [ 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 12 , 14 ], and PET [ 4 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. There are, however, several reports in the surgical literature regarding the clinical features and prognosis of CS of the chest wall [ 5 , 8 , 13 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Titanium Mesh Reconstruction after Solitary Sternal Plasmacytoma Surgery-A Case report

“…Primary sternal tumors are very rare and account for only ~ 1% of primary bone neoplasms [1]. The most common lesion is chondrosarcoma (33%) followed by mayeloma and plasmacytoma (30%), than (21%) lymphoma and occasional lesions like osteosarcoma, fobrosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma [2].…”