Giant Myxofibrosarcoma in the Lower Limb: An Overview of Diagnostic and Clinical Management.

Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS), an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma, is one of the undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas; it has a low incidence, affecting people in the sixth to eighth decades of life. It usually involves the extremities and is painless with a slow-growing pattern. Based on the case of a 52-year-old female patient who presented with a painful, massive, rapid-growing, ulcerated tumor of the anterior surface of the left thigh, we performed a literature review regarding the current standard of care for patients with MFS. Computed tomography examination, followed by magnetic resonance imaging and surgical biopsy with histopathological examination, confirmed the diagnosis and the presence of lung and inguinal lymph node metastases. Due to the rapid-growing pattern and the local aggressiveness, our tumor board team recommended emergency excisional surgery, with subsequent reconstructive procedures followed by referral to an oncological center. This review emphasizes the importance of proper and rapid diagnosis, followed by multidisciplinary management, for MFS cases with atypical presentation and distal metastases to improve overall outcomes.

In-Depth Comparative Assessment of Different Metallic Biomaterials in Simulated Body Fluid.

Invitro experiments have been conducted on metallic biomaterials used for orthopedic implants in order to determine their behavior when immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF). Thus, 3Ti-based metallic biomaterial samples already available on the marked were purchased and immersed in simulated blood plasma, and kept at 37 °C for 4 months. In-depth characterization consisted of a wide series of structural characterizations of both the samples and SBF. Sample analysis consisted of the following: optical (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to establish the surface and deep corrosion, mass gain/loss assessment for determining the metallic ions loss and/or protective layer formation, and X-ray diffraction in order to establish if and what kind of layers are formed. SBF analysis consisted of using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) in order to establish if and/or how many metallic ions have dissociated from the metallic samples into the SBF, and measurements of pH and electrical conductivity. The key findings of the research are as follows: during the four months while kept in SBF, the samples show surface corrosion degradation and protective layer generation. Also, the amount of metallic ions dissociated into the SBF is making them suitable for use. Taking into account that it is highly improbable for such a large area of metal as the one considered within this work to be exposed to real body fluids and that all the samples have developed protective oxide films, the overall conclusion is that they are appropriate for implant use.

Proximal humerus chondrosarcoma in a young male patient.

Proximal humerus chondrosarcoma is a rare localization of the common primary malignant cartilaginous tumor. Management is based on oncological surgical excision because of the inherent resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The most important prognostic factors with great impact on treatment strategy are histological grading and localization of the tumor. Proximal humerus chondrosarcoma carries a slightly better prognosis, especially for the low and moderate grade tumors. We present the case of a young patient with proximal humerus chondrosarcoma surgically managed in our Department, with the purpose of underlining the challenges posed by this localization for oncological excision and reconstruction but also the importance of histological grading for the treatment algorithm.