Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma.A study of the ultrastructure

Abstract

The ultrastructural findings in a case of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma are described. The tumor is composed mainly of 2 cell types: poorly differentiated cells, and cells showing cartilaginous differentiation. The poorly differentiated mesenchymal cells have sparsity of organelles. The tumor cells showing cartilaginous differentiation have a well‐developed Golgi apparatus, glycogen, and rough endoplasmic reticulum, with occasional dilatation. The matrix of the tumor consists of thin collagenous fibrils, 90 to 350 A in thickness, and electron‐dense material. We feel that mesenchymal chondrosarcoma originates from primitive mesenchyme; some areas of the tumor have remained in an early undifferentiated stage and others have undergone cartilaginous differentiation. It appears morphologically that the cartilage cells and their matrix are in an early stage of maturation. We feel that the vascular pattern, resembling hemangiopericytoma, is due to proliferation of undifferentiated tumor cells around vascular spaces rather than pericytes.

Towards a new understanding and classification of chondrogenic neoplasias of the skeleton – biochemistry and cell biology of chondrosarcoma and its variants

“…4k, l) together with aggrecan proteoglycan and S-100 protein (Fig. 4j) is the hallmark of differentiated chondrocytes [63]. Significant portions of the neoplastic chondrocytes become hypertrophic and express COL10 (Fig.…”

Primary Renal Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma: A Case Report

“…First described by Litchtenstein and Bernstein in 1959, this malignancy comprises cells with cartilaginous differentiation intermixed with other cells of poor differentiation. [1][2] Prior case series of extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcomas have cited tumor origins in the meninges, head and neck regions, extremities, and the retroperitoneum; however, to our knowledge, very few cases arising from the kidney have been described in the literature. [3][4] We report the case of a 16-year-old female patient with a massive mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of renal origin that had metastasized to the cervical spine, femur, and lung to provide for an unusual clinical presentation.…”

A Case of Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma of the Orbit

“…As for the undifferentiated cells, the present observations are in agreement with those of previous reports. However, as for the transitional or cartilaginous type of tumour cells, several different features were shown compared with those of Steiner (1973) or Mikata's (1977) report. Namely in the present case, mitochondria showing electron dense matrix and various sizes of lipid droplets were found in almost all transitional and cartilaginous cells.…”

“…Ultrastructural studies of the tumour were reported by several authors (Fu & Kay 1974;Mikata et al 1977;Mizuno et al 1978;Steiner et al 1973). Mizuno et al (1978) have reported ultrastructural aspects of orbital mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, however, the description was limited to the undifferentiated cellular area.…”