Maffucci's syndrome: clinical and radiological features of a rare condition

Clinical differences between central and peripheral chondrosarcomas

AIMS

Chondrosarcoma is the second most common primary sarcoma of bone: conventional chondrosarcoma accounts for 85% of all cases. Conventional chondrosarcoma may be central or peripheral. Most studies group central and peripheral chondrosarcomas together, although there is growing evidence that their clinical behaviour and prognosis differ. The aims of this study were to analyze any differences in characteristics between central and peripheral chondrosarcomas and to investigate the incidence and role of different syndromes.

METHODS

Data from two international tertiary referral sarcoma centres between January 1995 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The study population consisted of 714 patients with surgically treated conventional chondrosarcoma of the pelvis and limbs.

RESULTS

In patients with Ollier's disease and Mafucci's syndrome, 12/20 (60%) and 2/5 (60%) of malignancies, respectively, were in the limbs, most frequently in the proximal humerus, proximal tibia, and in the hands and feet. In patients with hereditary multiple exostosis (HME), 20/29 (69.0%) of chondrosarcomas were in the pelvis and scapula, specifically in the ilium in 13/29 (44.8%) and the scapula in 3/29 (10.3%). In central chondrosarcoma, survival of patients with Ollier's disease and non-syndromic patients was the same (p = 0.805). In peripheral chondrosarcoma, survival among HME patients was similar (p = 0.676) in patients with tumours of the pelvis and limbs.

CONCLUSION

Both central and peripheral chondrosarcoma have specific characteristics. HME is frequently seen in patients with a peripheral chondrosarcoma, in whom tumours are commonly located in the ilium and scapula. The incidence of Ollier's disease is uncommon in patients with a central chondrosarcoma. Disease-specific survival is equal in different subtypes after adjustment for histological grade. The local recurrence-free survival is the same for different locations and subtypes after adjustment for surgical margin. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(5):984-990.

Radiological Aspect of Klippel-Trénaunay Syndrome: A Case Series With Review of Literature

Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare angio-osteo-hypertrophic syndrome characterized by vascular malformations, soft tissue and/or bone hypertrophy, and varicose veins. For the purpose of describing the imaging findings and elucidating the role of medical imaging in the diagnosis and assessment of patient with KTS, we have reviewed the imaging data of 14 KTS patients. The imaging features on different imaging modalities were analyzed. Unilateral lower limb involvement was evident in 71% of cases (n=10) and bilateral but asymmetric lower limb involvement in the remaining 29% of cases (n=4). The most commonly depicted imaging features were varicosities in 93% (n=13), muscle hypertrophy in 79% (n=11) and venous anomalies in 64% (n=9). Other less common imaging findings included lymphedema in 29% (n=4), arterial malformations 29% (n=4), soft tissue hemangiomas 21% (n=3), pelvic and thigh phleboliths 21% (n=3), venous aneurysms 21% (n=3), bone abnormalities 14% (n=2) and lymphadenopathy 14% (n=2). A severe unilateral lower limb deformity resulting in contractures and muscle atrophy of the whole limb was depicted in 1 case. The pathognomonic marginal vein of Servelle was identified in 2 cases. AV shunt was highly suspected in 4 cases and was confirmed by DSA in 1 case, making Klippel-Trénaunay-Weber syndrome a more apt diagnosis. Associated ipsilateral duplicated renal artery was found in 1 case. We have concluded that medical imaging is the cornerstone in the diagnosis and assessment of severity and complications, follow-up and differentiation of KTS from other similar conditions. Different imaging modalities play complementary roles in the evaluation of KTS patients.

Primary Ovarian Fibrosarcoma-An Unusual Tumor in an Adolescent: Case Report and Review of the Pediatric Literature

BACKGROUND

Primary ovarian fibrosarcomas are rare and usually observed in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. To our knowledge, to date, there are only 3 reports of ovarian fibrosarcoma in childhood and adolescence in the English-language literature. In this report, we aimed to present to our knowledge, the first pediatric case with advanced stage primary ovarian fibrosarcoma and to compare with previous cases.

CASE

A 14-year-old teenage girl was admitted because of a giant abdominal mass. Imaging techniques revealed a giant heterogeneous and vascular ovarian mass. Salpingo-oophorectomy along with staging procedures were performed. Pathologic examination confirmed grade III ovarian fibrosarcoma with severe nuclear atypia and high mitotic count. Because of pulmonary metastasis, she received 4 courses of adjuvant combination chemotherapy (Ewing protocol). The patient withstood the treatment well and is disease-free at 2 years of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Fibrosarcoma of the ovary is an uncommon neoplasm with poor prognosis. To our knowledge, the presented patient is the first pediatric case with advanced staged primary ovarian fibrosarcoma to be treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Maffucci syndrome and intracranial chondrosarcomas: a case report featuring spontaneous resolution of sixth nerve palsy

Maffucci syndrome is a rare disease process characterized by enchondromatosis with cutaneous hemangiomatosis. We report a 20-year-old woman with Maffucci syndrome with a 5-day history of diplopia. She was found to have a left sixth nerve palsy due to a parasellar chondrosarcoma. Three weeks later, the patient's diplopia spontaneously resolved. This unusual clinical course prompted us to review frequency of sixth nerve palsy with skull base neoplasms and the phenomenon of spontaneous resolution of diplopia.

Diagnosis and prognosis of chondrosarcoma of bone

The mechanisms of chondrosarcoma development are just beginning to be unraveled. The distinction between benign and low-grade malignant cartilaginous tumors is difficult and is based mainly on radiological and clinicopathological features. In this review, the conventional chondrosarcomas are subdivided into central and secondary peripheral chondrosarcomas, based on their different genetic and clinicopathological background. Thus far, no diagnostic markers have been identified for central tumors. Bcl-2 is a good diagnostic marker that can be used in the distinction between osteochondroma and low-grade secondary peripheral chondrosarcoma. For the prognosis of chondrosarcomas, the best and most commonly used marker at present is histological grade. Several molecular markers, recapitulated in this paper, have been tested to see if they aid in determining diagnosis and predicting prognosis, but most are not independent of histological grade.

Incidence, predictive factors, and prognosis of chondrosarcoma in patients with Ollier disease and Maffucci syndrome: an international multicenter study of 161 patients

BACKGROUND

Enchondromatosis is characterized by the presence of multiple benign cartilage lesions in bone. While Ollier disease is typified by multiple enchondromas, in Maffucci syndrome these are associated with hemangiomas. Studies evaluating the predictive value of clinical symptoms for development of secondary chondrosarcoma and prognosis are lacking. This multi-institute study evaluates the clinical characteristics of patients, to get better insight on behavior and prognosis of these diseases.

METHOD

A retrospective study was conducted using clinical data of 144 Ollier and 17 Maffucci patients from 13 European centers and one national databank supplied by members of the European Musculoskeletal Oncology Society.

RESULTS

Patients had multiple enchondromas in the hands and feet only (group I, 18%), in long bones including scapula and pelvis only (group II, 39%), and in both small and long/flat bones (group III, 43%), respectively. The overall incidence of chondrosarcoma thus far is 40%. In group I, only 4 patients (15%) developed chondrosarcoma, in contrast to 27 patients (43%) in group II and 26 patients (46%) in group III, respectively. The risk of developing chondrosarcoma is increased when enchondromas are located in the pelvis (odds ratio, 3.8; p = 0.00l).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall incidence of development of chondrosarcoma is 40%, but may, due to age-dependency, increase when considered as a lifelong risk. Patients with enchondromas located in long bones or axial skeleton, especially the pelvis, have a seriously increased risk of developing chondrosarcoma, and are identified as the population that needs regular screening on early detection of malignant transformation.

The association between intracranial tumours and multiple dyschondroplasia (Ollier's disease or Maffucci's syndrome): do children and adults differ?

In Ollier's disease (OD) and Maffucci's syndrome (MS), there is deforming dysplasia of cartilage, primarily but not exclusively involving the metaphyses and diaphyses of long bones. In a minority of patients with either of these rare syndromes, dysplasia can lead to sarcomatous degeneration, producing chondrosarcomas. There also appears to be an association with other neoplasms, which can include intracranial tumours. The primary objective of the current paper was to compare children/adolescents who have either OD or MS and an intracranial malignancy with their adult counterparts. All relevant cases in the medical literature were identified by electronically searching PubMed, SciSearch, Scientific Commons, Springer Link, and Google. Translate DotNet and Babelfish were used to translate non-English text. Non-parametric Pearson chi-square analyses were used to compare youths versus adults with respect to gender and geographic distribution (by continent), tumour histology and site of lesion, and the underlying enchondromatosis syndrome (OD vs. MS). All tests were 2-tailed, and P < 0.05 represented a statistically-significant difference. Forty-six patients with 47 intra-cranial malignancies were identified, with nine of the patients being 18 years old or less and categorized as youths. The incidence of intracranial chondrosarcomas peaked in the fourth decade of life, in parallel with the peak number of MS cases; conversely, both non-sarcomas and OD peaked in the third decade of life. Six of nine youths (67%) versus 17 of 36 adults with gender data (47%) were female (P = 0.30). There was no difference in geographic distribution by continent (P = 0.82). Four youths (44%) versus 16 adults (43%) had a chondrosarcoma (P = 0.95), and there was no statistically significant difference by tumour site (P = 0.42). However, seven (77%) of the youths had Ollier's disease as their underlying enchondromatosis syndrome, versus just 17 (46%) of the adults, a difference that approached statistical significance (P = 0.086). The association between enchondromatosis and intracranial malignancy seems to be roughly the same in youths versus adults, though Ollier's disease cases appear to predominate among youths.

Maffucci syndrome associated with a pituitary adenoma and a probable brainstem tumor

Malignancies are a common feature of Maffucci syndrome, with chondrosarcomas being the most common tumor type. The authors present the first case of Maffucci syndrome associated with a pituitary adenoma and a probable brainstem glioma and review the literature concerning intracranial tumors related to this disease. They report the case of a 35-year-old woman with Marfucci syndrome (diagnosed when she was 22 years old) who presented with complaints of decreased visual acuity and visual field defect. Neuroimaging revealed a pituitary macroadenoma and a suspected brainstem tumor. The macroadenoma was partially removed. There were no postoperative complications and the patient experienced rapid improvement in visual acuity. On follow-up examination 2 years later, the lesion in the pons showed the same dimensions. No sarcomatous changes of enchondromas or hemangiomas occurred. To the authors' knowledge, including the present case, only 7 cases of Maffucci syndrome associated with glioma and 7 cases associated with pituitary adenoma have been reported in the literature. This report emphasizes that patients with this disease are at a higher risk for primary intracranial tumors and reinforces the concept of the multiplicity of tumors that may arise in this syndrome. It also underscores the importance of early diagnosis, regular clinical surveillance, and follow-up studies of these patients.

Recurrent chondrosarcoma of the right skull base in a patient with Maffucci syndrome

Maffucci syndrome is a rare, sporadic disease characterized by the development of multiple enchondromas and subcutaneous hemangiomas. Patients with Maffucci syndrome have a 23-37% risk of malignancy, with chondrosarcomas being the most common. Although the development of a chondrosarcoma in a patient with Maffucci syndrome may be expected, intracranial chondrosarcomas are rare. We present a patient with Maffucci syndrome who was diagnosed with an intracranial chondrosarcoma after presenting with hearing loss and vomiting. After three craniotomies and two recurrences of chondrosarcoma of the right skull base, the patient demonstrated a positive outcome to treatment with external radiation therapy.

Vascular malformations. Part II: associated syndromes

Cutaneous vascular malformations are rare disorders representing errors in vascular development. These lesions occur much less commonly but are often confused with the common infantile hemangioma. It is important to properly diagnose vascular malformations because of their distinct differences in morbidity, prognosis and treatment. Vascular malformations may be associated with underlying disease or systemic anomalies. Several of these syndromes are well defined and can often be distinguished on the basis of the flow characteristics of the associated vascular malformation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

At the completion of this learning activity, participants should be able to better recognize underlying diseases or systemic anomalies that may be associated with vascular malformations. Participants should also better understand the various syndromes and conditions discussed and become more familiar with their management.

Spindle Cell Hemangioma and Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma Arising in an Area of Lymphedema

We report the case of a 73-year-old female patient with a multifocal vascular tumor that we regard as composite hemangioendothelioma (CHE). The lesions developed in an area of lymphedema. CHEs are rare vascular tumors in which various types of hemangioendothelioma are combined in 1 lesion. In the present case, separate tumors with histologic features of spindle cell hemangioma and features resembling epithelioid hemangioendothelioma were clustered in 1 anatomic region.

Enchondromatosis (Ollier disease, Maffucci syndrome) is not caused by the PTHR1 mutation p.R150C

Enchondromatosis (Ollier disease, Maffucci syndrome) is a rare developmental disorder characterized by multiple enchondromas. Not much is known about its molecular genetic background. Recently, an activating mutation in the parathyroid hormone receptor type 1 (PTHR1) gene, c.448C>T (p.R150C), was reported in two of six patients with enchondromatosis. The mutation is thought to result in upregulation of the IHH/PTHrP pathway. This is in contrast to previous studies, showing downregulation of this pathway in other cartilaginous tumors. Therefore, we investigated PTHR1 in enchondromas and chondrosarcomas from 31 enchondromatosis patients from three different European countries, thereby excluding a population bias. PTHR1 protein expression was studied using immunohistochemistry, revealing normal expression. The presence of the described PTHR1 mutation was analyzed, using allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization confirmed by sequence analysis, in tumors from 26 patients. In addition, 11 patients were screened for other mutations in the PTHR1 gene by sequence analysis. Using both allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization and sequencing, we could neither confirm the previously found mutation nor find any other mutations in the PTHR1 gene. These results indicate that the PTHR1 gene is not, in contrast to previous suggestions, the culprit for enchondromatosis.

Maffucci’s syndrome: a case report

Maffucci's syndrome is a congenital nonhereditary syndrome characterized by a combination of enchondromatosis and hemangiomatosis. It is associated with an increased risk of malignancy. We report a case of a 24-year-old woman who developed severe bone distortion due to generalized enchondromas since the age of 2 years. Physical examination showed a marked shortening of both upper and lower limbs and cutaneous hemangioma in the legs. Radiological study showed symmetric well-circumscribed radiolucent cystic lesions in the hands and severe metaphysical irregularity and a shortening of all long bones. The biopsy of the third right metacarpal showed enchondroma tissue. Histological examination of the skin specimen showed a hemangioendothelioma. The diagnosis of Maffucci's syndrome was established. Abdominal ultrasound, mammography, cerebral computed tomography (CT) scan, and cervical CT were normal.