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Myxomas, and especially fibromyxomas of the head and neck are rare but when occurring are usually located in the mandible. Here we present the case of a 24-year old man with an unusual mesenchymal tumor in the frontal sinus. Microscopic and histomorphological aspects demonstrated a benign tumor with biphasic differentiation (a myxoid and an osteoid part). The tumor was therefore classified as fibromyxo-osteoma. The association of two different tumors is not probable because of the extremely narrow topographic link between soft tissue and osteoid tumor parts. Other arguments against a perifocal myxoid reaction of the osteoma are that myxoid degeneration of osteomas is unknown and that appropriate immunohistochemical methods were able to show a relatively high proliferation activity of the spindle-shaped cells in the myxoid tissue. Therapy consisted of complete resection of the well-delimited tumor. The patient has remained free of any recurrence 2 years after primary therapy.

After administration of the teratogen the ability of the mesenchymal cells to synthesize proteoglycans is impaired. In the fusion area of the palatal shelves there is, like in normal development, an increase in lysosomal activity.

The effects of an intramuscular application of fetal mesenchym (Resistocell) in mice with acute radiation injury was investigated. A single dose of 80 mg/kg body weight one day after radiation exposure (LD70/30, 635 cGy) showed significant therapeutic effects. Further experiments are recommended in order to improve and explain the reported results.