Chondrosarcoma of the head and neck: Report of 11 cases and literature review

Objective: Chondrosarcoma is a malignant tumour of mesenchymal origin. Chondrosarcomas most commonly occur on axial structures and are rarely found in the head and neck. A review of these tumours was carried out, focusing on management and outcomes. Methods: Eleven chondrosarcoma cases of the head and neck were retrospectively identified at a tertiary care teaching centre. Results: There were seven males and four females; ages ranged from 18 to 77 years. Specific sites included the larynx (3), trachea (1), petrous apex (2), skull base (2), cervical spine (1), clivus (1), and cavernous sinus region (1). Eight of the 11 patients had grade I disease (73%), whereas the remaining 3 (27%) had grade II tumours. None had metastatic disease at presentation. Surgical resection with postoperative radiation was the most widely employed primary treatment (55%); the remaining patients (45%) had surgical resection only. There were two recurrences. Salvage surgeries were performed in both. Disease-specific survival was 73% at 5 years. Conclusion: Chondrosarcomas are rare tumours of the head and neck. Treatment should be aimed at complete surgical resection with the option of postoperative radiotherapy. They usually portend a favourable long-term prognosis.