CHONDROSARCOMAS OF THE SKULL BASE - REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND REPORT OF 2 CASES

Citation
Ad. Rapidis et al., CHONDROSARCOMAS OF THE SKULL BASE - REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND REPORT OF 2 CASES, Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery, 25(6), 1997, pp. 322-327
Citations number
29
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Dentistry,Oral Surgery & Medicine",Surgery
ISSN journal
1010-5182
Volume
25
Issue
6
Year of publication
1997
Pages
322 - 327
Database
ISI
SICI code
1010-5182(1997)25:6<322:COTSB->2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
Chondrosarcomas are malignant mesenchymal tumours occurring only rarel y in the bones of the cranium, Less than 5% of all chondrosarcomas are located in the head and neck area and their commonest location is the ethmoids and the sphenoid sinus, They are slow-growing tumours,vith l ow malignancy rate and unclear histopathogenesis, The prevailing hypot hesis is that they arise from cartilaginous remnants in the petro-cliv al, spheno-occipital and fronto-nasal synchondroses. Diagnosis is only made after biopsy since clinical signs and symptoms and radiological findings are not pathognomonic, Symptomatology mainly derives from tum our encroachment and infiltration of adjacent intracranial structures, Surgery is the treatment of choice, while radiotherapy has an adjunct ive role, Chemotherapy is not effective, Partial tumour excision to al leviate symptoms is an acceptable surgical technique since diagnosis i s usually late, but treatment can be repeated when recurrence occurs, During the last year, two cases of chondrosarcoma of the skull base we re treated in our institution, Both patients were female, aged 62 and 73, respectively, Computerized Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imagi ng ere inconclusive and diagnosis was established after biopsy, Treatm ent for both cases was surgical,,vith partial excision due to intracra nial involvement of the internal carotid artery, In one case, a tempor al approach,vas used, whereas the other patient was operated on via a naso-orbital approach, One patient received postoperative radiotherapy . The postoperative course was uneventful in both patients and marked clinical improvement,vas noted 18 months and 1 year after surgery, We support the view that partial resection of chondrosarcomas of the base of the skull to alleviate symptoms is an acceptable surgical treatmen t.