Liver metastasis in renal chondrosarcoma

D Mehanna, FM Abu-Zidan, S Rao
Correspondence: Dr Fikri Abu-Zidan, fabuzidan@uaeu.ac.ae

ABSTRACT
A 39-year-old woman who had a left radical nephrectomy for a renal chondrosarcoma presented 18 years later with a large epigastric mass and deep jaundice. The patient was very dyspnoeic and had a feeling of continuous pressure on her chest. Computed tomography arterioportography of the abdomen showed that the mass involved both lobes of the liver. Multiple non-anatomical resections of tumour masses were performed, including a mass arising from the falciform ligament, left lateral segment, and segments VII and VIII. The largest resected mass weighed 2.5kg and had a diameter of 15cm. Histopathology of the hepatic metastasis was similar to the original renal chondrosarcoma. The patient was followed up for 24 months postoperatively and had symptomatic relief. Our case demonstrates the slow-growing nature of this tumour and the usefulness of palliative surgery despite large tumour load.

Keywords: chondrosarcoma, extraskeletal chondrosarcoma, renal tumour, liver metastasis
Singapore Med J 2004; 45(4): 183-185