Pelvic Ewing Sarcoma: The Great Mimicker.

Ewing sarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor of the pelvis in children and young adults. Even with aggressive treatment, its survival rate is amongst the poorest. Classical presentation may not be the rule. It may simulate clinically, imagiologically and histopathologically other nonmalignant entities. Therefore, its suspicion should not be overlooked. We report two cases of pelvic Ewing sarcoma: the first mimicking eosinophilic granuloma, and the second mimicking osteomyelitis. In the latter, we also report an atypical finding of its natural history: an initial response to antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatment. In both cases, we highlight the possibility of an inconclusive percutaneous bone biopsy and the importance of immunochemistry and cytogenetics for the definitive diagnosis.

Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH)-Phagia: A Case Report and Review of Literature of a Rare Disease Manifestation.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), also called Forestier disease, is a clinical entity characterized by ossification of the anterolateral ligaments of the spine. DISH is more commonly diagnosed in older males, with an estimated prevalence of 42% in patients older than 65 years. As the disease affects predominantly the thoracic spine, dysphagia is a rare presentation of this entity observed in only 0.6-1.0% of the cases. We present a clinical case of an 84-year-old male with complaints of progressive dysphagia and foreign body sensation within one year of evolution. Computed tomography imaging revealed an anterior C4-C5 osteophyte compressing the posterior hypopharyngeal wall. Flexible endoscopy revealed a deformed and stenotic hypopharynx. The patient underwent surgical treatment with anterior cervical osteophyte resection using the Smith-Robinson approach. The patient showed significant improvement in preoperative symptoms, and no recurrence was detected at six months of follow-up. We also aim to discuss the clinical and radiological characteristics of the disease, as well as the crucial steps for a correct diagnosis and treatment of this rare disease.

Pelvic Ewing Sarcoma: The Great Mimicker / Sarcoma de Ewing pélvico: o grande imitador

Abstract Ewing sarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor of the pelvis in children and young adults. Even with aggressive treatment, its survival rate is amongst the poorest. Classical presentation may not be the rule. It may simulate clinically, imagiologically and histopathologically other nonmalignant entities. Therefore, its suspicion should not be overlooked. We report two cases of pelvic Ewing sarcoma: the first mimicking eosinophilic granuloma, and the second mimicking osteomyelitis. In the latter, we also report an atypical finding of its natural history: an initial response to antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatment. In both cases, we highlight the possibility of an inconclusive percutaneous bone biopsy and the importance of immunochemistry and cytogenetics for the definitive diagnosis.

Resumo O sarcoma de Ewing é o tumor ósseo maligno da pelve mais comum em crianças e adultos jovens. Mesmo com tratamento agressivo, sua taxa de sobrevivência está entre as piores. A apresentação clássica pode não ser a regra. Ele pode simular clinicamente, imaginologicamente e histopatologicamente outras entidades não malignas. Portanto, sua suspeita não deve ser negligenciada. Relatamos dois casos de sarcoma pélvico: o primeiro imitando granuloma eosinofílico e o segundo imitando osteomielite. Neste último, também relatamos um achado atípico de sua história natural: uma resposta inicial ao antibiótico e ao tratamento anti-inflamatório. Em ambos os casos, destacamos a possibilidade de uma biópsia óssea percutânea inconclusiva e a importância da imunoquímica e da citogenética para o diagnóstico definitivo.

Musculoskeletal Injuries in Competitive Rowers.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was the assessment of the injuries occurred over the competitive rowing lifetime of Portuguese senior rowers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We sent a questionnaire to all Portuguese senior rowers medalled in the national championships during the 2013-2014 season. We analysed biometric variables, anatomic location, type and circumstances of injury occurrence, type of treatment provided and time of inactivity. For statistical analysis we used parametric and non-parametric statistics with 95% confidence levels (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The questionnaire was answered by 18 of the 18 female and 74 of the 77 male rowers. Females had significantly lower ages, heights and weights and rowed more often sculling boats (p < 0.05). The number of years of practice, as well as the number of injuries per rower was similar, for both females and males. The mean age at the first injury was significantly lower in females (p < 0.001), who also had more progressive lesions than acute ones, although not significantly. In both, the most frequent anatomical location and type of injury were the lumbar region and muscular pathology, with a higher occurrence in winter and spring, during land training. Femalessustained longer periods of inactivity, but not significantly. DISCUSSION: The results that were different from those reported by other authors may be related with differences in the studied populations or with other factors that need to be clarified. CONCLUSION: The injuries sustained by the Portuguese competitive rowers, probably associated with a lower competitive exposure of our athletes, were less severe than those generally reported in the literature.

Introdução: O objetivo deste estudo foi a avaliação das lesões ocorridas ao longo da vida desportiva de remadores de competição seniores portugueses. Material e Métodos: Enviámos um questionário a todos os remadores seniores medalhados nos campeonatos nacionais na época de 2013-2014. Analisámos variáveis biométricas, localização anatómica, tipo e circunstâncias de ocorrência de lesões, tratamentos efetuados e tempos de inatividade. Para análise estatística utilizámos métodos paramétricos e não paramétricos com níveis de confiança de 95% (p < 0,05). Resultados: Responderam 18 dos 18 remadores femininos e 74 dos 77 masculinos. Os femininos apresentaram idades, estaturas e pesos significativamente mais baixos e remaram mais parelhos (p < 0,05). O número de anos de prática e de lesões por remador foram semelhantes, entre femininos e masculinos. A idade média da primeira lesão foi significativamente mais precoce nos femininos (p < 0,001), nos quais se registaram mais lesões progressivas do que agudas, embora de forma não significativa. Tanto nos femininos como nos masculinos, a localização anatómica e o tipo de lesão mais frequentes foram a região lombar e a contratura muscular, com maior ocorrência no inverno e na primavera, em terra, durante os treinos. A inatividade por lesão foi superior nos femininos, embora de forma não significativa. Discussão: Os resultados que diferiram dos reportados por outros autores podem estar relacionados com diferenças nas populações estudadas ou com outros fatores que necessitam de ser esclarecidos. Conclusão: As lesões dos remadores de competição portugueses, associadas provavelmente a um nível competitivo menos expressivo dos nossos atletas, foram menos graves do que as geralmente referidas na literatura.