Abstract
We report on a patient with an unusual pulmonary infection after resection of a high-grade osteosarcoma. In March 2007 a 30-year old female with pain and swelling of the left proximal humerus was submitted to the orthopaedic department. Rx and CT revealed a tumour with destruction and invasion of the surrounding soft tissue.
Incision biopsy led to the diagnosis of osteoblastic osteosarcoma. She was enrolled into the EURAMOS protocol and received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In July 2007 an extra-articular resection of the proximal humerus with modular endoprosthetic replacement was performed. The sarcoma had responded well to chemotherapy (regression grade 3 according to Salzer-Kunts-chik). Surprisingly, the resection specimen demonstrated a “skip lesion” of vital sarcoma in the resection line not been detected by preoperative PET or MRT. After consultation of the German study group she was stratified into the standard risk group.
12 months later a control CT revealed multiple foci in both lungs, which were highly suspicious for pulmonary metastases. All clinical parameters were normal. A lung biopsy was performed by thoracotomy and a granulomatous infection was diagnosed, which was suspicious for tuberculosis. Extended microbiological investigations by culture and PCR analysis revealed an infection by Myco-bacterium Xenopi, which is a rare form of an atypical mycobacteriosis. Since then she is treated accordingly, however the infection has progressed and involvement of the liver has been diagnosed by cutting needle biopsy.
Correspondence should be addressed to Professor Stefan Bielack, Olgahospital, Klinikum Stuttgart, Bismarkstrasse 8, D-70176 Stuttgart, Germany. Email: s.bielack@klinikum_stuttgart.de
