Chondroma of the nasal bone: a case report

Cartilaginous tumors are common in the long bones of the body and relatively rare in the head and neck. When they do occur in the head and neck, the most common site is the midface. Since the first case report by Morgan in 1842, approximately 150 cases of head and neck chondroma have been recorded in the English-language literature. In this article, the authors describe a new case in which a chondroma of the nasal bone caused an external nasal deformity in a 17-year-old boy. The lesion was excised via an external rhinoplasty approach. The authors believe that this is the first reported case of a chondroma arising from the nasal bone. The authors have made an attempt to comprehensively review the literature on this rare and controversial tumor and place special emphasis on its uncertain biologic nature. A detailed discussion of the diagnosis and management of this tumor is also included in this report.