SYNOVIAL SARCOMA - ONCOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL RESULTS

Aim. To evaluate the oncological and functional result of the treatmen t of patients with a synovial sarcoma. This paper gives a retrospectiv e review of 20 patients (15 male and five female) treated for synovial sarcoma at the Nijmegen University Hospital, The Netherlands. Methods . The median age of the patients was 30 years (range: 14-71, mean 37 y ears). Results. The tumour locations were: lower extremity in 12 patie nts; upper extremity in three; pelvic and groin region in four; and th e retroperitoneal space in one. Surgical stages according to Enneking (Clin Orthop 1986; 204: 9-24) were IIA in five cases; IIB in seven; an d IIIB in eight. The surgical margin was intralesional in three cases; marginal in three; wide in six; and radical in six. In one case the s urgical margin could not be assessed and one patient was not operated. One patient developed a recurrent tumour and one developed nodal meta stases. Eight patients who did not have metastases at the time of diag nosis developed metastases during follow-up. Fourteen patients died of metastatic disease; one patient died of diabetes; one is alive with d isease; and four presently do not have evidence of disease. Conclusion s. The outcome was poor, especially due to the occurrence of pulmonary metastases. The functional result according to the MSTS was 100% in f our patients; in one the result was 93% because of the scar and venous insufficiency.