Published online Feb 6, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i4.854
Peer-review started: August 4, 2020
First decision: November 3, 2020
Revised: December 3, 2020
Accepted: December 23, 2020
Article in press: December 23, 2020
Published online: February 6, 2021
Processing time: 173 Days and 22 Hours
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is an extremely rare disease characterized by the rapid appearance of aging with an onset in childhood. Serious cardiovascular complications can be life-threatening events for affected patients and the cause of early death. Herein we report a HGPS patient with osteosarcoma hat was successfully managed and is alive 13 years after the diagnosis. This is the first report describing the detailed surgical procedure and long-term follow-up of osteosarcoma in a patient with HGPS.
The patient was diagnosed with HGPS at 5 years of age with typical features and was referred to our department with a suspected bone tumor of the left proximal tibia at the age of 18. Open biopsy of the tibial bone tumor revealed a conventional fibroblastic osteosarcoma. We have developed and performed a freezing technique using liquid nitrogen for tumor reconstruction. This technique overcame the small size of the tibia for megaprosthesis and avoided amputation and limb salvage was achieved 13 years post-operatively. Although the patient had a number of surgical site complications, such as wound dehiscence, and superficial and deep infections due to vulnerable skin in HGPS, no recurrence or metastases were detected for 13 years, and she walks assisted by crutches. Her general health was good at the latest follow-up at 31 years of age.
A HGPS patient with osteosarcoma was successfully managed and she was alive 13 years after the diagnosis.
Core Tip: We report the first case describing the detailed surgical procedure and long-term follow-up of osteosarcoma in a patient with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). This patient had symptoms of HGPS at birth and was diagnosed at 5 years of age. After the diagnosis of osteosarcoma in proximal tibia, a pedicle frozen autograft using liquid nitrogen was performed to cure her osteosarcoma, and limb salvage was achieved 13 years post-operatively. The patient had a number of surgical site complications, such as wound dehiscence, and superficial and deep infections due to vulnerable skin in HGPS. If the megaprosthesis was chosen, infection could not be subsided and an amputation would eventually be done. Even though amputation was selected, a prosthetic leg would not be applicable because of the poor condition of the skin. Cardiovascular disorders did not develop until 24 years of age and thyroid cancer has been successfully managed by surgery and levothyroxine for 13 years. Due to the morphologic characteristics of bone, vulnerable skin condition, and decreased subcutaneous tissue, the treatment strategy for osteosarcoma in HGPS is complicated. A biological reconstruction method is recommended to manage post-operative complications.