• A high power view of a lacunar space in a chondrosarcoma.

• A normal cartilage, this field would be taken up by a pair of chondrocytes, with a relatively pale staining nuclei.

• In this particular lacunar space, you can visualize at least 10 nuclei, most of which are deeply hyperchromatic, for example by the cells at the tip of the bright orange-yellow arrow.

•The etiology of chondrosarcoma is unknown.

•Not understood.

•Usually a tumor of older age groups.

•Approximately twice as common in men as in women.

•No racial preferences have been noted.

•Most chondrosarcomas are slow growing, indolent tumors.

•Larger tumors behave more aggressively than smaller tumors.

•As with all sarcomas, spread is preferentially through the vascular tree.

•Tumors are rare in the distal extremities.

•Most tumors arise from central skeleton including pelvis, shoulders and ribs.

•Presenting symptoms are usually of a painful enlarging mass.

•For more information about prognosis and treatment, consult the NCI web site.

Visit National Cancer Institute for Current Treatment

•Tumors exhibit features of cartilage, including abundant ground substance and chondrocytes.

•Areas of calcification, necrosis and hemorrhage are seen in rapidly growing tumors.

•Myxoid variants exhibit a viscous and gelatinous consistency.

•Cellular atypia increases with poorly differentiated tumors.

•Histologically, chondrosarcomas can be divided into three grades - gr
ade 1 (most differentiated) to grade 3 (most anaplastic)

•Grade 1 tumors resemble normal cartilage closely, with little deviation from normal histology.

•Grade 3 tumors can show considerable cellular atypia.

•Most common grade of chondrosarcoma is grade 1.

•More aggressive grades show areas of necrosis and hemorrhage.

•The myxoid variant exhibits areas of myxomatous matrix.

• Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th edition. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 1240.

• Current literature from PubMed at National Library of Medicine