High-grade surface osteosarcoma of the humerus.

We presented a case of high-grade surface osteosarcoma of the humerus in a 12-year-old girl and the results of our analysis of 26 cases reported in the literature. Twelve of the 21 patients for whom substantial follow-up information was reported had died of the disease, and the results of the analysis regarding the efficacy of chemotherapy and medullary involvement were ambiguous. It is emphasized that high-grade surface osteosarcoma is a distinct entity, since it is associated with a poorer prognosis than other osteosarcomas arising on the surface of bone.