Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ultrastructural study of conventional chondrosarcomas and myxoid- and mesenchymal-chondrosarcomas

  • Published:
Virchows Archiv A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Five cases of conventional chondrosarcomas (CS.) of graded malignancy, 3 cases of myxoid CS. and 2 cases of mesenchymal CS. were studied by electron-microscopy. The chondrocyte like tumor cells of conventional CS. were characterized by: an ovoid shape, eccentric nucleus, abundant endoplasmic reticulum with dilated cisternae of RER; cytoplasmic glycogen, lipid droplets, and filaments plus numerous thin cytoplasmic projections. The histologically high grade tumors showed fewer cytoplasmic organelles, bizarre nuclei and more prominent nucleoli than the better differentiated ones. The tumor cells of myxoid CS. were chiefly fusiform. The cells frequently presented a pattern of rows with good cellular cohesion, and scanty cytoplasmic projections. The most prominent cytoplasmic feature was a conspicuous RER. Abundant cytoplasmic filaments and cytoplasmic glycogen were also observed. The undifferentiated areas of the mesenchymal CS. showed primitive mesenchymal cells with rounded nuclei, and scanty cytoplasm which was poor in organelles and glycogen. The cytoplasmic membranes were very cohesive and cytoplasmic projections were not present. Scanty cytoplasmic filaments and conspicuous desmosome like junctions were observed. The intercellular matrix of conventional and myxoid CS. consisted of fibrils, glycosaminoglycan granules and collagen fibers. In the undifferentiated zones of the mesenchymal CS. the intercellular matrix was very scanty and did not contain collagen fibrils. The more immature cells correspond to the small undifferentiated cells of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson CE, Ludowieg J, Eyring EJ, Horowitz B (1963) Ultrastructure and chemical composition of chondrosarcoma. Report of one case. J Bone Joint Surg 45A:753–764

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson HC (1967) Electron microscopic study of induced cartilage development and calcification. J Cell Biol 35:81–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Battifora H (1973) Hemangiopericytoma. Ultrastructural study of five cases. Cancer 255–261

  • Dabska M (1977) Parachordoma. A new clinicopathologic entity. Cancer 40:1586–1592

    Google Scholar 

  • Enzinger FM, Shiraki M (1972) Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. An analysis of 34 cases. Hum Pathol 3:421–435

    Google Scholar 

  • Erlandson RA, Huvos AG (1974) Chondrosarcoma. a light and electron microscopic study. Cancer 34:1642–1652

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans HL, Ayala AG, Romsdahl MM (1977) Prognostic factors in chondrosarcoma of bone. A clinicopathologic analysis with emphasis on histologic grading. Cancer 40:818–831

    Google Scholar 

  • Fu YS, Kay S (1974) A comparative ultrastructural study of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma and myxoid chondrosarcoma. Cancer 33:1531–1542

    Google Scholar 

  • Godman GC, Porter KR (1960) Chondrogenesis studied with the electron microscope. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 8:719–760

    Google Scholar 

  • Guccion JG, Font RL, Enzinger FM, Zimmerman LE (1973) Extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. Arch Pathol 95:336–340

    Google Scholar 

  • Hahn MJ, Dawson R, Esterly JA, Joseph DJ (1973) Hemangiopericytoma. An ultrastructural study. Cancer 31:255–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirohata K, Morimoto K (1971) Ultrastructure of bone and joint diseases. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn LB (1976) Chondrosarcoma with dedifferentiated foci. A comparative and ultrastructural study. Cancer 37:1365–1375

    Google Scholar 

  • Laskowsky J (1955) Zarys Oncologii, Pathology of Tumors. In: Kolodziejska H (ed) PZWL Warszawa, pp 91–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Laskowski J (1962) Abstracts of Papers, VIII International Cancer Congress. Megiz. Publ House Moscow, p 262

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Charpentier, Forest M, Postel M, Tomeno B, Abelanet R (1979) Clear-cell chondrosarcoma. A report of five cases including ultrastructural study. Cancer 44:622–629

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine G, Bensch K (1972) Chondroblastoma, the nature of the basic cell. A study by means of histochemistry, tissue culture electron microscopy and autoradiography. Cancer 29:1456–1562

    Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenstein L, Bernstein D (1959) Unusual benign and malignant chondroid tumors of bone. A survey of some mesenchymal cartilage tumors and malignant chondroblastic tumors, including a few multicentric ones, as well as many atypical benign chondroblastomas and chondromyxoid fibromas. Cancer 12:1142–1157

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandalenakis N (1974) Chondrosarcome mesenchymateux. Etude histologique et ultrastructurale. Ann Anat Pathol 19:176–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin RF, Melnick PJ, Warner NE, Terry R, Bullock WK, Schwinn CP (1973) Chordoid sarcoma. Am J Med Clin Pathol 59:623–635

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinez-Tello FJ, Navas-Palacios JJ (1981) Ultrastructural study of conventional chondrosarcoma and osseous and extraosseous myxoid and mesenchymal chondrosarcama. Abstr. VIII European Congress of Pathology. Helsinki p 39

  • Mehio AR, Ferenczy A (1978) Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma with “chordoid” features (chordoid sarcoma). Am J Clin Pathol 70:700–705

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikata A, Iri H, Inuyama Y (1977). Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. A case report with an ultrastructural study and review of Japanese literatures. Acta Pathol Jpn, 27:93–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Murad TM, von Haam E, Murthy MSN (1968) Ultrastructure of a hemangiopericytoma and a glomus tumor. Cancer 22:1239–1249

    Google Scholar 

  • Palfrey AJ, Davis DV (1966) The fine structure of chondrocytes. J Anat (Lond) 100:213–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Pardo-Mindan FJ, Cañadell JM, Herranz P, Imizcoz JL, Vazquez JJ (1975) Sarcoma cordoide de femur. Estudio a miscroscopio optico y electrònico de un caso. Rev Med Univ Navarra 19:133–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Raskind R, and Grant S (1966) Primary mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the cerebrum: report of a case. J Neurosurg 24:676–678

    Google Scholar 

  • Remagen W, Gudat F, Heitz P (1976) Histochemical and electron microscopic aspects of bone tumor diagnosis. Recent Results Cancer Res 54:157–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhodin JAG (1968) Ultrastructure of mammalian venous capillaries venules, and small collecting veins. J Ultrastruct Res 25:425–500

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson DI, Hogg GR (1980) Chordoid sarcoma. Ultrastructural evidence supporting a synovial origin. Cancer 45:520–527

    Google Scholar 

  • Rollo JL, Green WR, Kahn LB (1979) Primary meningeal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. Arch Pathol Lab Med 103:239–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Salvador AH, Beabout JW, Dahlin DC (1971) Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma observations on 30 new cases. Cancer 1971; 605–615

    Google Scholar 

  • Schajowicz F, Cabrini RJ, Simes DDS, Klein-Szanto AJP (1974) Ultrastructure of chondrosarcoma. Clin Orthop 100:378–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheitenhauer BW, Rubinstein LJ (1978) Meningeal chondrosarcoma: Report of 8 cases with review of the literature. Cancer 42:2744–2752

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulz A (1980) Ultrastrukturpathologie der Knochentumoren. Zelluläre Subklassifikation und Zytopathologenese Veröffentlichungen aus der Pathologie. Vol 115:139–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Silberberg R (1968) Ultrastructure of articular cartilage in health and disease. Clin Orthop 57:233–257

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith MT, Farinacci CJ, Carpenter HA, Bannayan GA (1976) Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. A clinicopathological study. Cancer 37:821–827

    Google Scholar 

  • Spjut HJ, Dorfman HD, Ackerman LV (1971) Tumors of Bone and Cartilage. In: Firminger HI, (ed) Atlas of tumor pathology, Fasc. 5, 2nd ser. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington DC, pp 104–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner GC, Mirra JM, Bullough PG (1973) Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, a study of ultrastructure. Cancer 32:926–939

    Google Scholar 

  • Stout AP, Verner EW (1953) Chondrosarcoma of the extraskeletal soft tissues. Cancer 581–590

  • Taniguchi S (1968) Electron microscopic study of chondrosarcoma. Chiba Med J 43:768–788

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss SW (1976) Ultrastructure of the so called “chordoid sarcoma”. Evidence supporting cartilagenous differentiation, Cancer 37:300–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss C, Rosenberg LC, Helfet AJ (1968) An ultrastructural study of normal young adult human articular cartilage. J Bone Joint Surg 50A:663–674

    Google Scholar 

  • Welsh RA, Meyer AT (1964) A histogenetic study of chondroblastoma. Cancer 17:578–585

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu WQ, Lapi A (1970) Primary nonskeletal intracranial cartilaginous neoplasms: report of a chondroma and a mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychyatry 33:469–475

    Google Scholar 

  • Zucker DK, Horoupian DS (1978) Dural mesenchymal chondrosarcoma: case report. J Neurosurg 48:829–833

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento da Anatomia Patologica, Ciudad Sanitaria de la Seguridad Social “1 o de Octubre”, Carretera de Andalucia, Km. 5,5, Madrid, Spain

    F. J. Martinez-Tello & J. J. Navas-Palacios

Authors
  1. F. J. Martinez-Tello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. J. Navas-Palacios
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Martinez-Tello, F.J., Navas-Palacios, J.J. Ultrastructural study of conventional chondrosarcomas and myxoid- and mesenchymal-chondrosarcomas. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 396, 197–211 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00431241

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00431241

Key words

Search

Navigation