TUMOR PROGRESSION IN A GIANT-CELL TYPE MALIGNANT FIBROUS HISTIOCYTOMAOF BONE - CLINICAL, RADIOLOGIC, HISTOLOGIC, AND CYTOGENETIC EVIDENCE

A malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of bone arising in the fibula o f a 21-year-old woman is described. Clinical, radiologic, and histolog ic findings demonstrated rapid tumor progression. Chromosomal analysis of the biopsy specimen showed great karyotypic heterogeneity, whereas the resection specimen four weeks later displayed a rather homogeneou s karyotype. Both revealed a clonal t(14;22)(q11;p12). Several other c lonal and non-clonal chromosomal aberrations were observed. Some of th ese were previously described in giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) and m ay correlate with aggressive behavior, e.g., aberrations involving 8p1 1, 19q13, and 20q13. The change from karyotypic heterogeneity to relat ive homogeneity may be related to tumor progression. The chromosomal f indings further suggest that the giant cell type of MFH of bone may be related to malignant GCTB. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.