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In 6 patients with primary malignant bone tumors (4 Ewing, 1 recurrent Adamantinoma, 1 maligne Haemangioperizytoma) the local therapy was performed as intraoperative extracorporeal irradiation and replantation. During the follow-up 10 (6-24) months no local recurrence in the replanted segment occurred. One recurrence occurred in the host bed; in two cases the replanted segment had to be removed because of severe infection. The other cases showed good functional and radiological results. These clinical findings and the reports in the literature seem to allow the application of the intraoperative extracorporeal irradiation and replantation procedure for defect reconstruction in cases of chemo- and radiotherapy-sensitive bone tumors.

A soft tissue expander is surgically inserted into the body to displace radiosensitive organs from the treatment field in a small number of patients receiving radiotherapy for musculoskeletal sarcoma. MRI is routinely used to monitor the response to the radiotherapy, local recurrence and complications of treatment. This study retrospectively reviews MRI of soft tissue expanders in seven patients with musculoskeletal sarcomas; six arising in the pelvis and one in the retroperitoneum. In the absence of an appropriate clinical history, the soft tissue expander may be mistaken for a pathological fluid collection such as abscess, post-operative seroma or even recurrent tumour. MRI of the soft tissue expanders and potential errors in image interpretation are illustrated.

Hemangiopericytoma is a rare tumor arising from pericapillary cells or pericytes of Zimmerman, and can occur anywhere capillaries are found. We describe a patient with a meningeal hemangiopericytoma who was treated with primary surgical resection and experienced multiple bone metastases 20 years after the first treatment. This patient with multiple bone metastases was treated with multiple courses of irradiation and good palliation was achieved.

A case of metastasizing malignant meningioma is discussed concerning the etiology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis and therapy. The necessity of irradiation after surgery is turned out. Palliative treatment of bone metastasis is presented from an orthopedic point of view.

One patient with a large inoperable malignant hemangiopericytoma and three patients with local recurrence and/or metastases were treated with combination adriamycin, 50 mg/m2, and DTIC, 600-700 mg/m2, intravenously every 4 weeks. Two achieved palliation, one with measureable shrinkage of tumor, and the other with loss of incapacitating lower limb edema secondary to vascular and lymphatic obstruction. The third patient objectively had a less than partial response. The fourth patient did not respond to adriamycin and DTIC or to a subsequent trial of cis-platinum, 60 mg/m2, intravenously every 3 weeks. However, radiotherapy produced an objective response at the site of the local recurrence and relief of painful bone metastases. Two patients died of progressive disease; the third patient has stable disease and is continuing chemotherapy; and the fourth patient died, probably from adriamycin-induced cardiac failure in the presence of rapidly advancing intraabdominal metastases. The combination of adriamycin and DTIC is active in malignant hemangiopericytoma, and palliation of advanced disease can be achieved. However, prolonged survival is uncommon in the presence of a large tumor burden.