Chondrosarcoma of the tongue: a case report and a review of the literature.

Chondrosarcoma of the head and neck is uncommon and reported to constitute between 1% to 12% of all chondrosarcoma cases.1, 2, 3 Extraskeletal chondrosarcoma of the tongue is an extremely rare type of neoplasm with only three previously reported cases. The underlying origin of chondrosarcoma arising in the tongue is controversial. We describe a case of a low-grade chondrosarcoma arising in the base of the tongue of a 54-year-old woman with a central area of dedifferentiation. The patient was treated with complete surgical resection with no evidence of recurrence at 1 year follow-up.

Craniofacial resection of advanced juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the results of a craniofacial approach to resection of stage IIIB juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, performed by an integrated skull base surgical team. DESIGN: A retrospective case-series review was conducted with postoperative follow-up ranging from 28 to 63 months. SETTING: Operations were performed at a tertiary medical center. PATIENTS: A referred sample of 5 male patients, ranging in age from 10 to 23 years (mean, 15 years). INTERVENTIONS: All patients underwent resection of nasopharyngeal angiofibromas with intracranial extension. The procedure involved an infratemporal fossa approach via zygomatic osteotomy and subtemporal craniectomy. Anterior exposure was gained through a standard facial translocation. Dissection of the cavernous carotid artery was required in 3 patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraoperative and postoperative morbidity. RESULTS: The average operating time was 12 hours 47 minutes. Estimated blood loss ranged from 700 to 1750 mL (mean, 1120 mL), with 2 patients requiring intraoperative transfusion. Patients were hospitalized for a mean duration of 5.6 days. Long-term morbidity includes facial dysesthesia, nasal crusting, and malodorous nasal discharge. No patients sustained stroke, oculomotor dysfunction, vision loss, or auditory impairment. At most recent follow-up, which ranges from 28 to 63 months, tumor recurrence has been confirmed in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: A combined craniofacial approach is appropriate for juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma that extends intracranially. Complete tumor removal with acceptable morbidity can be expected.