Location
Suwanee, GA
Start Date
17-4-2026 12:00 PM
End Date
17-4-2026 1:00 PM
Description
Introduction:
Osteosarcoma is a primary bone cancer affecting mainly children, adolescents, and young adults. The most common metastatic sites are the lungs, followed by the brain, liver, spleen, and soft tissues of the abdominal cavity. Metastatic renal osteosarcoma is rare, occurring in roughly 10%-12% of cases post-mortem. This can be partially attributed to imaging protocols, which can lead to renal metastasis remaining silent and undetected. This case report relays the findings of multiple metastatic sites of osteosarcoma in a 22-year-old female cadaver.
Methods:
During routine dissection in a gross anatomy lab, a case of metastatic osteosarcoma was uncovered. Permission to present the case was obtained from the family through the PCOM GA Body Donor Program.
Results:
A 22-year-old female cadaver of mixed Caucasian and Filipina descent was dissected and found to have metastatic osteosarcoma. Multiple secondary tumor sites were identified including: left and right hilus of the lungs, pericardium, abdominal cavity, kidneys, adrenal glands, and body of the pancreas. A left total knee arthroplasty was present; however, the indication for this procedure was not available in the donor record. Following longitudinal bivalving of the kidneys, extensive tumor replacement involving approximately 60% of the right renal parenchyma was observed. The left kidney demonstrated multiple cortical nodules with limited medullary extension. The renal pelves were uninvolved, and no gross hydronephrosis was appreciated.
Discussion:
While pulmonary metastases are well established in osteosarcoma, visceral abdominal involvement remains less frequently recognized clinically. Due to the silent nature of the disease progression, most renal cases are determined post-mortem. The substantial degree of parenchymal replacement observed in the right kidney highlights the potential for significant metastatic burden beyond routinely monitored sites. Early detection and management of metastatic renal osteosarcoma have been associated with improved 5-year survival.
Conclusions:
This cadaveric case demonstrates extensive multi-organ metastatic spread in osteosarcoma, including significant bilateral renal involvement. Renal metastasis represents an uncommon but clinically significant site of dissemination in osteosarcoma that often remains unrecognized during routine imaging. Greater awareness of less common visceral metastatic sites may support more comprehensive clinical assessment in advanced osteosarcoma and enhance understanding of systemic disease dissemination. Further investigation into expanding imaging protocols in advanced osteosarcoma may be warranted.
Embargo Period
6-1-2026
Included in
Metastatic Osteosarcoma Identified During Cadaveric Exploration: A Case of Renal Involvement
Suwanee, GA
Introduction:
Osteosarcoma is a primary bone cancer affecting mainly children, adolescents, and young adults. The most common metastatic sites are the lungs, followed by the brain, liver, spleen, and soft tissues of the abdominal cavity. Metastatic renal osteosarcoma is rare, occurring in roughly 10%-12% of cases post-mortem. This can be partially attributed to imaging protocols, which can lead to renal metastasis remaining silent and undetected. This case report relays the findings of multiple metastatic sites of osteosarcoma in a 22-year-old female cadaver.
Methods:
During routine dissection in a gross anatomy lab, a case of metastatic osteosarcoma was uncovered. Permission to present the case was obtained from the family through the PCOM GA Body Donor Program.
Results:
A 22-year-old female cadaver of mixed Caucasian and Filipina descent was dissected and found to have metastatic osteosarcoma. Multiple secondary tumor sites were identified including: left and right hilus of the lungs, pericardium, abdominal cavity, kidneys, adrenal glands, and body of the pancreas. A left total knee arthroplasty was present; however, the indication for this procedure was not available in the donor record. Following longitudinal bivalving of the kidneys, extensive tumor replacement involving approximately 60% of the right renal parenchyma was observed. The left kidney demonstrated multiple cortical nodules with limited medullary extension. The renal pelves were uninvolved, and no gross hydronephrosis was appreciated.
Discussion:
While pulmonary metastases are well established in osteosarcoma, visceral abdominal involvement remains less frequently recognized clinically. Due to the silent nature of the disease progression, most renal cases are determined post-mortem. The substantial degree of parenchymal replacement observed in the right kidney highlights the potential for significant metastatic burden beyond routinely monitored sites. Early detection and management of metastatic renal osteosarcoma have been associated with improved 5-year survival.
Conclusions:
This cadaveric case demonstrates extensive multi-organ metastatic spread in osteosarcoma, including significant bilateral renal involvement. Renal metastasis represents an uncommon but clinically significant site of dissemination in osteosarcoma that often remains unrecognized during routine imaging. Greater awareness of less common visceral metastatic sites may support more comprehensive clinical assessment in advanced osteosarcoma and enhance understanding of systemic disease dissemination. Further investigation into expanding imaging protocols in advanced osteosarcoma may be warranted.
Comments
Presented by Katherine Richardson.