| Metastatic Sarcoma
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Etiology
• Dependent
on original location and cell type.
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Pathogenesis
• Neoplasms acquire access to venous drainage and spread to lung
• Unknown why the vast majority of sarcomas do not spread via lymphatics,
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Epidemiology
• Metastases to the lungs occurs in all
sarcomas that spread outside their local area of origin.
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General Gross Description
• Usually multifocal lesions scattered through the periphery of the
lung
• May be more frequent in the lower lobes where blood supply is richer
• Well circumscribed nodules which may be fleshy, glassy and cartilaginous,
or bony depending on the histology of the primary lesion
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General Microscopic Description
• Range from spindle cell to chondrocytes or osteoblasts
• All show cytologic features of malignancy including enlarged irregular
nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and mitotic activity.
• Necrosis may be prominent particularly if previous chemotherapy
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Clinical Correlation
• Although metastatic sarcoma to lungs is generally associated with a poor
prognosis, some patients are still responsive to high dose chemotherapy
and/or surgery to remove the nodules.
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References
• Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th edition. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 727-8.
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| Metastatic Sarcoma
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| Synopsis by: Melinda Sanders M.D. (T28000M89006)[140]
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