EWING SARCOMA FAMILY OF TUMORS OF SCAPULA IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Ewing’s sarcoma (ES) is the second most common malignant bone tumor accounting for 5-10% of malignancies in childhood. The scapula is rarely affected and only several reports have been published. Early symptoms of Ewing’s sarcoma of the scapula may be ignored by patients or misinterpreted by physicians, leading  to a delay in diagnosis.  In the retrospective analysis, we identified 3 patients (2 males) with Ewing’s sarcoma of scapula, aged 11 -14½ years in a 15-year period. The introduction of combined treatment with multimodal chemotherapy, surgical resection and/or radiation therapy  has  improved the survival of patients with Ewing’s sarcoma significantly. Several options for resection of ES of scapula were described with generally unfavorable functional results. Two patients were treated with chemotherapy and resection of the scapula. The third patient is on chemotherapy. Two patients died after 2½ and 4 years. In children and adolescents presenting with shoulder pain, Ewing’s sarcoma must be ruled out.