The imaging characteristics of naso-sinus chondrosarcoma

Eighteen patients with histologically-verified naso-sinus chondrosarcomata are reviewed, emphasizing their CT and MRI appearances. These tumours present with a soft tissue mass expanding and destroying bone and typically (89%) showing areas of nodular or plaque-like calcification on CT. The magnetic resonance characteristics are more specific and when present with the typical CT features are diagnostic of chondrosarcoma. They combine high signal on T2-weighted sequences, with differential enhancement on post-Gadolinium T1-weighted scans. The contrast enhancement is seen at the periphery of the tumour and the central chondromatous core does not enhance. These changes are dependent upon the vascularity of the tissues concerned and have been correlated exactly with the histopathology of the resected tumour specimens.