Rare complication of breast cancer irradiation: postirradiation osteosarcoma

Forget Me Not: Incidental Findings on Breast MRI

With the growing utilization and expanding role of breast MRI, breast imaging radiologists may encounter an increasing number of incidental findings beyond the breast and axilla. Breast MRI encompasses a large area of anatomic coverage extending from the lower neck to the upper abdomen. While most incidental findings on breast MRI are benign, identifying metastatic disease can have a substantial impact on staging, prognosis, and treatment. Breast imaging radiologists should be familiar with common sites, MRI features, and breast cancer subtypes associated with metastatic disease to assist in differentiating malignant from benign findings. Furthermore, detection of malignancies of nonbreast origin as well as nonmalignant, but clinically relevant, incidental findings can significantly impact clinical management and patient outcomes. Breast imaging radiologists should consistently follow a comprehensive search pattern and employ techniques to improve the detection of these important incidental findings.

Chondrosarcoma of the Ribs

Chondrosarcoma is a unique kind of tumor that originates from the cartilage-producing neoplastic mesenchymal cells and appears in both the appendicular and atlantoaxial skeleton. It is the second most prevalent neoplastic bone tumor, with an occurrence of 0.79/100,000/year. The biological presentation of this cancer fluctuates extensively, depending on the grade and anatomical location. Since chondrosarcoma is predominantly resistant to conventional chemo- and radiation therapy, surgical resection remains the sole curative treatment, although at present new treatment modalities are under investigation.

Primary osteosarcoma of the breast: A case report

Osteosarcoma (OS) located in the breast is an extremely rare, malignant neoplasm. The current study presents the diagnostic process, treatment and follow-up of a 67-year-old female with OS of the breast. The diagnosis was made according to diagnostic imaging methods and microscopic examination with additional immunohistochemical staining. As a surgical treatment, tumourectomy with intraoperative histological examination and simple breast amputation was performed. No adjuvant chemotherapy was administered following surgery. Lung and bone metastases occurred without local recurrence 14 months following the surgery. In the present study, the details of the diagnostic examinations performed are evaluated and the consecutive phases of diagnostic and therapeutic proceedings are examined in comparison with the knowledge in the literature.

Malignant chest wall neoplasms of bone and cartilage: a pictorial review of CT and MR findings

Malignant tumours of the chest wall are uncommon. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to describe the CT and MRI findings of malignant neoplasms affecting the bony skeleton of the chest wall and the costal cartilages. The most common primary malignant neoplasms involving the bony skeleton of the chest wall are chondrosarcoma, osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumour. Metastases, multiple myeloma and invasive primary lung cancer are the most frequent secondary lesions. We performed a retrospective review of the radiology and pathology archive at our institution from 1 July 2000 to 31 December 2004 and identified 31 of these lesions. Several of these tumours have distinctive radiological features, allowing a confident radiological diagnosis to be suggested.