Differential diagnosis of cartilage tumors.

A total of 1187 cartilage tumors have been diagnosed at the Reference Center for Bone Tumors of the University of Freiburg; 67 of these were chondrosarcomas. All tumors were coded in terms of their frequency, age distribution, and localization. The typical radiographic, macroscopic, and histologic architecture is described for each tumor, and differential diagnostic aspects are described. Special attention is devoted to the distinction between proliferating chondromas and well-differentiated chondrosarcomas. which are often very difficult or even impossible to distinguish histologically. A grading system for chondrosarcomas is described. Cytophotometric DNA measurements may be applied to cartilage tumor cells in an effort to objectify the radiologic and histologic findings, and to make possible a decision between "benign" and "malignant". With the help of these modern histochemical methods it should be possible to solve differential diagnostic problems in cartilage tumors.