Thoraco-abdominal chondrosarcoma

Chondrosarcomas represent the third primary malignant bone tumor. Costal location occurs in 12%, being the most common tumor of the ribs. It affects most frequently in the second and fifth decades of life. This tumor is histologically classified into grades 1, 2 and 3 in descending order of differentiation. For grade 2, with oncologic resection, there is a 10-year survival of 64%, and a 10% risk for metastasis. Radiotherapy has a limited therapeutic role and chemotherapy has not shown benefits. We report a case of a 45 years old woman, who presented with a symptomatic growing mass in the right rib cage, of three months of evolution, whose evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography shows a sarcomatous tumor with involvement of ribs, muscles, diaphragm, pleura, peritoneum and liver. A small amount of intraperitoneal free fluid was observed. A block resection was made, resulting a 16.8 cm long at the widest point chondrosarcoma, grade 2, with involvement of all layers of the wall, tumor microfoci in the liver capsule and malignant tumor cells in peritoneal fluid.