Journal de cytologie et d'histologie

Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma: A Case Report with Cytologic Features, Histopathology, and Variant Translocation

Abstract

Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma (ESMC) is a rare soft tissue sarcoma, of which its histopathologic and cytogenetic features have been thoroughly examined; however, limited reports on the description of the cytologic findings are present within the literature. We report a case of ESMC with typical cytomorphologic and histopathologic features, and cytogenetic confirmation with expression of a variant translocation. A 75 year-old male presented with a large slow-growing right arm mass discovered on imaging studies upon initial work-up. Cytologic imprint preparations of image-guided needle core biopsies demonstrated groups of a monotonous population of round to oval cells, some with grooves, embedded within a myxoid-appearing stroma. Chromosome analysis performed on incisional biopsy tissue displayed the t (9:17) instead of the more common t (9:22) translocation, and resection of the mass provided additional histologic and immunophenotypic confirmation of the diagnosis. Although ESMC has distinctive cytologic features, these are not entirely specific, and ancillary cytogenetic studies can aid in confirmation of diagnosis resulting in the best-possible (and perhaps in the near-future, more individualized) treatment of these myxoid tumors.