Bertil Stener

A multivariate analysis of the prognosis after surgical treatment of malignant soft-tissue tumors.

Ninety‐seven patients who had received their primary and definitive surgical treatment for a soft‐tissue sarcoma during the years 1956–1976 were studied with respect to local recurrence, metastasis, and survival. The aim of the treatment was to eradicate the tumor while preserving good function. The influence of host and tumor properties and different diagnostic and surgical procedures on the prognosis was studied by means of nonparametric multivariate analysis. Ninety‐four percent of the tumors were located in the extremities. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma was the most common histologic type. A four‐grade scale of histologic malignancy was used. Eighty‐eight percent of the tumors were Grade III or IV. In 85% of the patients with an extremity lesion, local extirpation was carried out. The overall local recurrence rate was 21.7% and in 76 patients who underwent an adequate surgical procedure it was 6.6%. The overall five‐year survival rate was 59%. The survival depended on the local control of the primary tumor, which was related to the adequacy of the surgical procedure and to the histologic grade of malignancy. No patient with a Grade I or II tumor died. The five‐year survival rate for patients with Grade III tumors was 68% and for patients with Grade IV tumors 47%.

Intermuscular and intramuscular lipomas and hibernomas. A clinical, roentgenologic, histologic, and prognostic study of 46 cases.

A series of 9 intermuscular and 34 intramuscular lipomas, and 1 intermuscular and 2 intramuscular hibernomas is presented. One intramuscular lipoma infiltrated not only muscle but also fascia and tendon. The shoulder region and the thigh were the most common sites of the lipomas. Clinically the tumor appeared in most cases as a painless, fairly soft mass. Dysfunction of the engaged muscle was apparent in only 4 patients. A characteristic change in consistency and form was shown in 14 cases: the tumor being soft and flat when the muscle was relaxed, and becoming firm and more spherical when the muscle was contracted. Some tumors, having developed in a closed fascial space, were firm on palpation even when the muscle involved was relaxed. Radiography was performed in 36 patients with lipoma. In 31 of these the tumor was clearly visible because of its radiotranslucency. Streaks of higher density caused by muscle fiber bundles were seen within the tumor area in some cases. Angiography was performed in 14 patients with lipoma. Usually the tumor appeared poor in vessels in relation to surrounding muscle, and in no patient was increased vascularity, abnormal vessel formation, or early venous filling observed. Microangiography of 2 of the lipomas demonstrated their poor vascular supply in relation to the surrounding muscle. Angiography in 2 patients with hibernoma showed that the tumor was highly vascular with irregular vessels and early venous filling, findings usually held as contributory signs of malignancy in the diagnosis of soft tissue tumors. Microangiographic studies of these hibernomas, earlier reported, also demonstrated their high vascularity. A followup study has shown the benign course of intermuscular and intramuscular lipoma and hibernoma.

DISPLACEMENT OF THE RUPTURED ULNAR COLLATERAL LIGAMENT OF THE METACARPO-PHALANGEAL JOINT OF THE THUMB

1. The pathological anatomy of total rupture of the ulnar collateral ligament of the metacarpo-phalangeal joint of the thumb has been studied at operation in thirty-nine patients. 2. It has been found that the ligament, when ruptured distally (the most usual type) is often displaced so that the ulnar expansion of the dorsal aponeurosis—here referred to as the adductor aponeurosis—becomes interposed between the ruptured end of the ligament and the site of its attachment on the phalanx; the ligament gets folded over to a greater or lesser extent and the ruptured end sticks out beyond the proximal edge of the adductor aponeurosis. Such displacement of the ligament with interposition of the adductor aponeurosis was found in twenty-five of the thirty-nine cases. The ligament may also be displaced without the adductor aponeurosis being interposed (with a gap between the ruptured end and the site of itsattachment on the phalanx). 3. Variations in the pathological anatomy are illustrated by more detailed descriptions of nine cases. In one of these the adductor aponeurosis had got caught between the two surfaces of the joint, and in another the adductor aponeurosis was found ruptured as well as the ulnar collateral ligament. 4. On the basis of dissection studies on forty-two fresh post-mortem specimens, a rational explanation is given of the pathological anatomy. 5. The results of the present investigation on clinical and anatomical material provide a strong argument in favour of operative treatment for total rupture of the ulnar collateral ligament of the metacarpo-phalangeal joint of the thumb. 6. Aspects of diagnosis and operative technique are discussed.

Extra-abdominal desmoid tumors

A follow-up study of 53 patients with extra-abdominal desmoid tumor is presented. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy seemed to be valuable in the differentiation between a desmoid tumor and a truly malignant soft tissue tumor. The angiographic pictures did not differ from those of other soft tissue tumors, but valuable topographic information was obtained from the angiography in the preoperative planning. The overall local recurrence rate was 17/44, and 15 of the recurrences occurred within the first 2 years. Complete removal of the affected muscle or muscle group is recommended. Local control can be achieved by non-ablative surgery even after multiple recurrences. Only one out of 53 patients died of the tumor disease. Radiotherapy can be attempted in extensive tumors, and amputation should be reserved for tumors which have failed to respond to this treatment.

Pelvic strength after major amputation of the sacrum. An exerimental study.

Major sacral resections up to the level of S 1 and even higher have been performed. This has raised the question of the degree to which such operations weaken the pelvic ring. Fifteen cadaver pelves, including the fifth lumbar vertebra, were loaded to failure, five unresected, five after resection of the sacrum between S 1 and S 2, and five after resection about 1 cm below the promontory. The weakening of the pelvic ring amounted to approximately 30 per cent with the former type of resection and 50 per cent with the latter. Taking into consideration the calculated normal load on L 5 in upright standing it seems safe from this study to allow patients to stand with full weight-bearing at an early stage postoperatively after submaximal resection of the sacrum.

Leiomyosarcomas of venous origin in the extremities. A correlated clinical, roentgenologic, and morphologic study with diagnostic and surgical implications

This article presents a correlated clinical, roentgenologic, and morphologic study of six cases of leiomyosarcoma of large veins in the extremities. Growth of the tumor within the lumen of the affected vein was demonstrated by phlebography in one case and by angiography and computed tomography in one case. In all six cases, such growth was demonstrated by dissection of the surgical specimen. In four cases, arteriography showed both neovascularity at the site of the lesion and compression of the artery accompanying the affected vein. The compression apparently was caused by entrapment of the artery within the same preformed fibrous sheath (conjunctiva vasorum) that enclosed the tumor and the vein from which it had arisen. The histologic diagnosis was based on the light microscopic appearance in all cases and was supported by electron microscopic findings in three cases by the demonstration of ultrastrucctural features of leiomyoblasts. All six tumors were light microscopically of high‐grade malignancy. Five of the patients died of metastatic tumor disease and one is alive with lung metastases. The information obtained by a careful physical examination combined with phlebography, arteriography, and computed tomography may be helpful in the clinical diagnosis and the planning of adequate surgical treatment.

COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THREE VERTEBRAE FOR GIANT-CELL TUMOUR

1. A twenty-six-year-old woman was paraplegic because of a benign giant-cell tumour which had destroyed the body of the twelfth thoracic vertebra completely and the bodies of the eleventh thoracic and first lumbar vertebrae partially. The tumour had expanded into both pleural cavities and displaced the aorta forward and to the left. The extent and topography of the tumour were evaluated before operation by angiography. The function of the spinal cord had not been improved significantly by laminectomy. It was therefore decided to attempt extirpation of the tumour by removing all remaining parts of the three vertebrae involved. 2. After the removal of the tumour, only the spinal cord with the thecal sac bridged the gap between the tenth thoracic and second lumbar vertebrae. The gap was bridged with struts of cortical bone from both tibiae and with two strong plates, all secured with steel wire. The metal was removed five months later because it had become loose. Gradual shortening and angulation of the spine then occurred, together with progressive resorption of the cortical grafts. Nevertheless, the operation restored the function of the spinal cord; the patient regained ability to walk and full control of the bladder.

Function After Removal of Various Hip and Thigh Muscles for Extirpation of Tumors

Forty-six patients who had undergone excision of one or more well defined hip and/or thigh muscles because of a soft-tissue tumor or a tumoriform lesion were investigated with respect to the function of the operated limb and the isometric and isokinetic strength of the affected motion or motions, relative to the non-operated side (percentage). Hip flexion: Loss of the iliopsoas caused slight impairment of function. The flexion strength decreased with increasing flexion of the hip joint. Loss of the rectus femoris reduced the isometric strength by 37 and the isokinetic strength by 17 per cent. Hip abduction: The strength reduction was only about 50 per cent and the impairment of function only slight or moderate even in patients with extensive loss of abductor muscles. Hip adduction: Removal of all three prime adductors (longus, brevis, magnus) caused a strength reduction of about 70 per cent but the impairment of function was only slight or moderate. Hip extension: Loss of the gluteus maximus caused only a small strength reduction and no impairment or only slight impairment of function. Significant strength reduction was only seen when all hamstrings had been removed. Knee extension: Loss of one, two, and three of the quadriceps muscles reduced the isometric strength by 22, 33, and 55 per cent, respectively. The isokinetic strength was reduced somewhat more. The strength reduction usually had to exceed 50 per cent to cause more than slight impairment of function. Knee flexion: Loss of the semitendinosus, the biceps femoris, and all the hamstrings reduced the isometric strength by 24, 28, and 67 per cent, respectively. The isokinetic strength was reduced somewhat less. Loss of one of the hamstrings usually caused no impairment of function whereas loss of all three resulted in moderate impairment of function.

Hemangiopericytoma. A clinicopathologic, angiographic and microangiographic study

A clinicopathologic study of 11 hemangiopericytomas is reported, and the results of clinical angiography in 4 patients and a correlated microangiographic‐histologic study of 1 tumor are presented. Six of the tumors were collected and accepted as hemangiopericytomas in a review of 42 tumors registered as hemangiopericytoma in the Swedish Cancer Registry during the period 1958‐1968. The other 5 tumors occurred in patients treated by us. The histologic examination and the follow‐up information showed that it can be difficult to predict the prognosis on morphologic grounds, that borderline tumors exist and that a recurrence as well as a metastasis may dedifferentiate. The tumors studied by clinical angiography all proved to be highly vascular. Irregular vessels of varying caliber were filled with contrast medium and, in addition, a prominent diffuse opacification took place. Early filling of veins was not noted despite the high vascularity. The correlated microangiographic‐histologic study suggests that the irregular vessels seen on clinical angiograms corresponded to wide, angulated, thin‐walled vessels without muscle coat or elastic tissue, while the diffuse opacification was caused by a dense network of delicate, branching, slit‐like capillary spaces. Cancer 42:2412–2427, 1978.

Complete removal of vertebrae for extirpation of tumors. A 20-year experience.

Long-term results of complete removal of vertebrae with a minimum follow-up period of seven years are reported in 23 consecutive patients from March 1968 to January 1981. Seven patients were treated with vertebrectomy above the sacrum: three for a giant-cell tumor (T11, T12, and L1; T11; and L4), one for chondrosarcoma (one-half T6, T7, and one-half T8), one for chordoma (L3), one for plasmocytoma (L1), and one for a metastasis of renal carcinoma (L1). The latter two patients eventually died of generalized disease, whereas the other five patients have no evidence of tumor after seven to 20 years. In the six patients in whom the spine was reconstructed using corticocancellous iliac bone, a block-vertebra was created by the grafts and the adjacent vertebrae, allowing two women to complete one or more pregnancies successfully. Sixteen patients were treated with removal of sacral vertebrae (from one-half S3, S4, and S5 to all). None of the seven patients treated with adequate surgery for a sacral chordoma has had a local recurrence. Two women have given birth to children after sacral amputations, one performed for rhabdomyosarcoma and the other for a huge ganglioneuroma. A patient treated with a hemicorporectomy for chondrosarcoma 18 years ago has no evidence of tumor.