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. 2011 Oct 13;1(1):10.
doi: 10.1186/2045-3329-1-10.

Reclassification and subtyping of so-called malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone: comparison with cytogenetic features

Fredrik Mertens  1 , Salvatore Romeo, Judith Vmg Bovée, Roberto Tirabosco, Nick Athanasou, Marco Alberghini, Pancras Cw Hogendoorn, Angelo P Dei Tos, Raf Sciot, Henryk A Domanski, Kristina Aström, Nils Mandahl, Maria Debiec-Rychter
Affiliations

Reclassification and subtyping of so-called malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone: comparison with cytogenetic features

Fredrik Mertens et al. Clin Sarcoma Res. .

Abstract

Background: The diagnostic entity malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of bone is, like its soft tissue counterpart, likely to be a misnomer, encompassing a variety of poorly differentiated sarcomas. When reviewing a series of 57 so-called MFH of bone within the framework of the EuroBoNeT consortium according to up-to-date criteria and ancillary immunohistochemistry, a fourth of all tumors were reclassified and subtyped.

Methods: In the present study, the cytogenetic data on 11 of these tumors (three myoepithelioma-like sarcomas, two leiomyosarcomas, one undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma with incomplete myogenic differentiation, two undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas, one osteosarcoma, one spindle cell sarcoma, and one unclassifiable biphasic sarcoma) are presented.

Results: All tumors were high-grade lesions and showed very complex karyotypes. Neither the overall pattern (ploidy level, degree of complexity) nor specific cytogenetic features distinguished any of the subtypes. The subgroup of myoepithelioma-like sarcomas was further investigated with regard to the status of the EWSR1 and FUS loci; however, no rearrangement was found. Nor was any particular aberration that could differentiate any of the subtypes from osteosarcomas detected.

Conclusions: chromosome banding analysis is unlikely to reveal potential genotype-phenotype correlations between morphologic subtypes among so-called MFH of bone.

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