Dr. Francisco Bengoa
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Bone tumors

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma

BoneMalignant / sarcomaOsteogenic tumours

Epidemiology

A high-grade variant of osteosarcoma that appears mostly in children, adolescents, and young adults. Because it can be mistaken for an aneurysmal bone cyst, a lesion that looks like a bone cyst but has atypical features is biopsied before being treated as one: the difference changes the treatment completely.

Basic features

It can look like an aneurysmal bone cyst because it shows blood-filled spaces and fluid-fluid levels on MRI.

Usual treatment

It is managed as a high-grade osteosarcoma with chemotherapy and wide resection when possible. Before chemotherapy starts it is worth discussing fertility preservation with the team, because some of these treatments can affect it and the options have to be raised beforehand.

Outcomes and prognosis

With modern treatment its results are comparable to those of conventional osteosarcoma if it is diagnosed and treated correctly.

Warning signs

These signs do not necessarily mean cancer, but they warrant evaluation before operating on or needling a mass.

  • A soft-tissue mass that grows, is larger than 5 cm, or is deep.
  • Persistent, night-time or progressive bone pain, especially if it limits activity.
  • A fracture from minimal trauma, or an aggressive bone lesion on an X-ray.
  • A lump that comes back after previous surgery.
  • Neurological symptoms, rapid swelling, or pain associated with a mass.

This information is general and does not replace a medical evaluation. A musculoskeletal tumor must be interpreted together with imaging, physical examination, biopsy when appropriate and each patient's context.

Specialist evaluation

If you have a mass, a bone lesion or a report suggesting a tumor, book an evaluation.

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