Ewing's sarcoma family tumors in the western region of Saudi Arabia. A pathological experience from 2 tertiary medical centers.

OBJECTIVES: To review the pattern of Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (ES/PNET) in 2 medical centers in the western region of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the pathological data of patients diagnosed with ES/PNET in 2 tertiary medical centers in the western region of Saudi Arabia (King Abdulaziz University Hospital, [March 1995 to November 2011], and King Faisal Specialized Hospital [April 2003 to 12 December 2010]). Age, gender, and site of tumors were analyzed.

RESULTS: Sixty-nine cases were diagnosed as ES/PNET. The age range was 3-62 years (mean 22 years). Male cases were more than the female. Approximately 28.9% of cases presented within the skeleton, and 71.1% cases were presented as a soft tissue disease. Bone affection was higher in the iliac bone. Long bones were affected at a lower frequency. Soft tissue affection showed a higher incidence in the head and neck region followed by the lower limb.

CONCLUSIONS: The current study represents a review of a large number of Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors in western Saudi Arabia. Cases showed clinicopathological features comparable to those reported from other locations worldwide apart from relatively higher soft tissue affection than skeletal affection and a higher incidence of head and neck involvement by soft tissue ES/PNET. Further, multicenter studies (epidemiological and genetic) are recommended to obtain profiling of the disease and effect on outcome and therapy.