Primary intraosseous hybrid nerve sheath tumor of femur: a hitherto undescribed occurrence in bone with secondary aneurysmal bone cyst formation resulting in pathological fracture

Soft tissue perineurioma besides its pure form may coexist with schwannoma as hybrid nerve sheath tumor (HNST) which occurs in the limbs, head and neck, trunk and occasionally colon but origination in other organ sites has not been reported. We report the first case of primary intraosseous HNST. An 18-year-old man suffered from pathological fracture of his right femur after an impact which was preceded by a similar episode two weeks previously. Plain radiograph revealed a displaced fracture in the superior diaphysis of the right femur where an expansile osteolytic lesion with relatively well defined borders was seen. Histologic examination of the curetted lesion showed a well circumscribed spindle cell neoplasm displaying predominantly storiform but focally whorled patterns. In areas, the cells possessed thin wavy spindle nuclei and delicate elongated bipolar cytoplasmic processes supported in a fibromyxoid stroma. They stained positively for EMA, claudin, CD34, collagen 4 and focally for S100 but negatively for MUC4 and BCL-2, indicative of perineurial differentiation. Situated in the periphery of some of these perineurial whorls are spindle cells bearing plump tapering wavy nuclei and palely eosinophilic cytoplasm with indistinct cell borders. They stained intensely for S100 but negatively for EMA, claudin, CD34, collagen 4, MUC4 and BCL-2, consistent with schwannian differentiation. Focally, these two varieties of cells intimately intermingled with each other. Features of aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) formation were present but no mitotic figures, establishing the final diagnosis of primary intraosseous HNST with secondary ABC formation. The patient remained well 7 months after curettage and internal fixation of his fracture.