Chondrosarcoma of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and nasopharynx

Thirteen patients, six men and seven women, were seen at the Mayo Clinic with chondrosarcomas of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, or nasopharynx in a 25-year period. Nasal obstruction, discharge, and bleeding were the major symptoms and a nasal mass was the most common sign. The typical chondrosarcoma is low in grade but malignant and it arises in the nasal cavity as a large, pale, glistening mass. Local excision was employed initially in seven patients and five had local recurrence. Definitive block excision cured four of six patients and the two others had a protracted clinical course and ultimately died of the disease. Long-term follow-up shows that chondrosarcomas are insidious, locally progressive tumors. Radiotherapy, used for palliation after recurrence, failed to produce any cures. Lateral rhinotomy and block excision are advocated as the primary treatment.