COSTAL CHONDROSARCOMA - REPORT OF 4 CASES

Four cases of costal chondrosarcoma were observed in the Thoracic Surg ery Department of Nostra Senora de Aranzazu Hospital in San Sebastian. This tumour rarely occurs in the ribs and no papers concerning more t han one personal case, over such a brief interval, have been reported. The diagnosis was established on the basis of clinical and radiologic al data in three cases and after biopsy in the fourth case. Large surg ical resection allowed complete histological examination, which confir med the diagnosis of chondrosarcoma. The tumours were classified into grade I and II according to the degree of differentiation of the tumou r cells. All 4 patients were treated exclusively by surgical resection . Marlex mesh was necessary to repair the chest wall defect in 3 cases . The functional result was satisfactory. One of these patients was lo st to follow-up and no signs of recurrence have been observed in the o ther 3 patients, although the follow-up remains relatively short (9, 8 and 7 months, respectively).