Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma originating from the femoral vein

AbstractMesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare variant of chondrosarcomas characterized by a bimorphic pattern with areas of the undifferentiated malignant small cells and well differentiated cartilaginous islands.1 It occurs most commonly in the bone but can also occur in the extraskeletal soft tissues, the brain, and the meninges. This type of tumor has also been described in the eyelids, parapharyngeal space, mediastinum, and the kidney.1-5 An origin from the large vessels has not been reported in the medical literature. The authors report a case of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma originating from the femoral vein in a 28-year-old female patient, treated by the wide-margin resection. (J Vasc Surg 2003;37:202-5.