Osteosarcoma with cutaneous metastases. A case report

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcomas, despite their aggressive nature and propensity to metastasize, only rarely give rise to skin deposits. CASE: We report a case of a femoral osteosarcoma in which cutaneous scalp and neck metastases developed 3 years after treatment of the primary disease. Fine needle aspiration was pivotal in diagnosing the secondary disease. CONCLUSION: Only 8 instances of cutaneous metastases from an osteosarcoma have been previously reported. We recommend early investigation of such nodules with fine needle aspiration cytology and inclusion of multiagent chemotherapy as part of the treatment protocol in all patients with osteosarcoma.