Summary
Two cases of malignant mesodermic tumours of the human mammary gland with osteogenic and chondrogenic structures were analysed by optical and electronic microscopical means. One of them was associated with an adenocarcinoma of the gland. The histological pattern was similar to that of those cases previously examined under the optical microscope in the mammary gland and in extraskeletal osteogenic sarcomas of soft tissues. When investigated under the electron microscope, the chondroblasts possessed a highly developed RER in active synthesis with an amorphous material which contributed to the building up of the ground substance matrix of the tumorous cartilage. Osteoid fields with scattered osteoblasts appear throughout the tumorous stroma and were associated with calcium deposits. They were continuous with fibroblasts and mesenchymal undifferentiated cells of a very immature character. Giant cells of osteoclastic type were included within the mononucleated mesenchymal cells mimicking bone osteoclastoma. The presence of all these cell types suggests the existence of a common malignant origin, the stem cell being differentiated into epithelial carcinomatous and mesenchymal sarcomatous chondral and osteogenic tissues.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albertini, A.: Histologische Geschwulst-Diagnostik. Stuttgart: Thieme 1955
Adnett, J. J., Caullet, T., Pluot, M., Hopfner, G.: Etude ultrastructurale et histochimique d'un mesenquimome a tissues multiples. Arch. Ann. path. 19, 81–90 (1971)
Anani, P. A., Baumann, R. P.: Osteosarcoma of the breast. Virchows Arch. Abt. A 357, 213–218 (1972)
Anaoka, M., Friedman, B., Mack, R. P.: Ultrastructure and histogenesis of giant-cell tumour of bone. Cancer (Philad.) 25, 1408–1416 (1970)
Angerwall, L., Enerback, L., Knutson, H.: Chondrasarcoma of soft tissue origin. Cancer (Philad.) 32, 507–513 (1973)
Dahlin, D. C.: Tumores oseos. Barcelona: Ediciones Toray S.A. 1969
Godman, G. C., Porter, K. R.: Chondrogenesis studied with the electron microscope. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 8, 719–760 (1960)
Gonzalez-Licea, A., Yardley, J. M., Hartmann, W. M.: Malignant tumour of the breast with bone formation. Cancer (Philad.) 20, 1234–1246 (1967)
Goethlin, G.: Electron microscopic observations on fracture repair in the rat. Acta path. microbiol. scand., Section A 81, 507–522 (1973)
Haagensen, C. D.: Disease of the breast. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company 1971
Hamperl, M.: The Myothelia (Myoepithelial cell). Curr. Top. Path. 53, 162–200 (1970)
Hirohata, K., Miromoto, K.: Ultrastructure of bone and joint diseases. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1971
Jaffe, H. J.: Tumours and tumorales conditions of the bone and joint. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger Ed. 1961
Kay, S.: Ultrastructure of an osteoide type of osteogenic sarcoma. Cancer (Philad.) 28, 437–445 (1972)
Kennedy, T., Biggart, J. D.: Sarcoma of the breast. Brit. J. Cancer 21, 636–643 (1967)
Levine, G. D., Bensch, K. D.: Chondroblastoma. The nature of the basic cell. Cancer (Philad.) 29, 1546–1562 (1972)
Matthews, J. L., Martin, J. H.: Intracellular transport of calcium and its relationship to homeostasis and mineralization. An electron microscope study. Amer. J. Med. 50, 589–597 (1971)
McDivitt, R. W., Steward, F. W., Berg, J. W.: Tumors of the breast. Atlas of tumor pathology. Second ser. fasc. 2. Washington D.C.: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology 1968
Mori, Y., Lennert, K.: Electron microscopic atlas of lymph node cytology and pathology. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1969
Ott, G., Ruef, J.: Sarkome der Brustdrüse. Langenbecks Arch. klin. Chir. 297, 557–583 (1961)
Ozello, L.: Ultrastructure of the human mammary gland. Pathology annual, vol. 6, ed. by Sommers S.C. New York: Appelton-century-crofts 1971
Petracic, B., Morlifk, K., Bahr, R., Wenzel, R.: Mammasarkome. Langenbecks Arch. klin. Chir. 326, 239–245 (1970)
Peydro-Olaya, A., Llombart-Bosch, A., Lopez-Fernandez, A.: Estudio histoquimico y microscopico electronico de un osteosarcoma de femur. Patología (Madrid) 4, 231–244 (1972)
Roy, S., Meachim, G.: Chondrocyte ultrastructure in adult human articular cartilage. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 27, 554–557 (1968)
Sapp, J. P.: Ultrastructure and histogenesis of peripheral giant cell reparative granuloma of the jaws. Cancer (Philad.) 30, 1119–1129 (1972)
Schäfer, A., Bässler, R.: Vergleichende elektromikroskopische Untersuchungen am Drüsen-epithel und an sog. lobulären Carcinom der Mamma. Virchows Arch. Abt. A 246, 269–286 (1969)
Scott, B. L.: Thymidine-3H electron microscope radioautography of osteogenic cells in the fetal rat. J. Cell Biol. 35, 115–126 (1967)
Scott, B. L., Pease, D. C.: Electron microscopy of the epiphyseal apparatus. Anat. Rec. 126, 465–495 (1956)
Smith, R. E., Langhanr, F.: A survey of feline neoplasms. J. Amer. vet. med. Ass. 151, 1325–1328 (1967)
Steiner, G. C., Ghosh, L., Dorfmanz, H. O.: Ultrastructure of giant cell tumours of bone. Human Pathology 3, 569–586 (1972)
Weiss, C., Rosenberg, L., Helfet, A. J.: An ultrastructural study of normal young adult human articular cartilage. J. Bone Jt Surg. A 50, 663–674 (1968)
Willis, R. A.: Pathology of tumours, 4 ed. London: Butterworths 1967
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Llombart-Bosch, A., Peydro, A. Malignant mixed osteogenic tumours of the breast. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 366, 1–14 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00438674
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00438674