ABSTRACT
More than 200 articles and texts relating to chondrosarcoma in the general skeleton, in the head and neck area, and in extraskeletal soft tissues, were reviewed and summarized. In the interest of space conservation and avoidance, to the extent possible, of distracting referential interjections in the text, the entire list of materials reviewed has not been referenced. For example, articles that contribute essentially nothing more than single case reports are not included in the list of references. Effort has been made, however, to include articles of historical significance, articles reporting series of cases, and articles exploring ideas and concepts. The authors believe this review to be a comprehensive summary of the chondrosarcoma literature. An analysis of 37 cases of chondrosarcoma of the jaws will be published as Part II.
Subject(s)
Bone Neoplasms , Chondrosarcoma , Soft Tissue Neoplasms , Bone Neoplasms/pathology , Cartilage Diseases/pathology , Chondrosarcoma/pathology , Humans , Soft Tissue Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
Analysis was made of 37 cases of chondrosarcoma of the maxilla or the mandible. The most common complaint at initial presentation was the presence of a mass. Pain was a presenting symptom in less than half of the patients. The usual roentgenographic appearance was an ill-defined radiolucency with mottled areas of calcification. When teeth were involved, some cases showed a widened periodontal membrane space on periapical dental radiographs. Histologically, the tumors usually showed recognizable cartilage and a lobular growth pattern, but cellular evidence of malignancy was often subtle. Radical surgery was the treatment of choice. Prognosis appears best when such surgery is performed soon after the onset of symptoms. Also, patients presenting with mandibular tumors and with tumors of the better differentiated histologic grades enjoy a better survival time. Neck dissection is probably not warranted for chondrosarcoma of the jaws. Contrary to the relationship between these two tumors in other skeletal sites, the overall prognosis for chondrosarcoma of the jaws does not appear to be as good as that for osteosarcoma of the jaws.
