Radiographic manifestations of fibroblastic osteosarcoma: A diagnostic challenge

ABSTRACT

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor after plasma cell neoplasms. Osteosarcoma has diverse histological features and is characterized by the presence of malignant spindle cells and pluripotent neoplastic mesenchymal cells that produce immature bone, cartilage, and fibrous tissue. Osteosarcoma most frequently develops in the extremities of long bones, but can occur in the jaw in rare cases. The clinical and biological behavior of osteosarcoma of the jaw slightly differs from that of long-bone osteosarcoma. The incidence of jaw osteosarcoma is greater in the third to fourth decades of life, whereas long-bone osteosarcoma mostly occurs in the second decade of life. Osteosarcoma of the jaw has a lower tendency to metastasize and a better prognosis than long-bone osteosarcoma. Radiographically, osteosarcoma can present as a poorly-defined lytic, sclerotic, or mixed-density lesion with periosteal bone reaction response. Multi-detector computed tomography is useful for identifying the extent of bone destruction, as well as soft tissue involvement of the lesion. The current case report presents a fibroblastic osteosarcoma involving the left hemimandible with very unusual radiographic features.