Extraskeletal chondrosarcoma
Extraskeletal chondrosarcomas make up only 2% of soft-tissue sarcomas and only 1% of all chondrosarcomas.
On this page:
Pathology
They tend to be of higher grade than run-of-the-mill conventional intramedullary chondrosarcomas, with the majority being of the myxoid (most common) or mesenchymal varieties 3.
Location
Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas typically occur in the extremities, with the thigh being most common. They occur at all ages but typically around the age of 50 3.
Extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcomas on the other hand tend to occur in young adults. They are seen also in the thigh, but also have a predilection for the head and neck, occurring in the meninges, the orbit and even in the brain.
Chondrosarcomas have been reported in most other parts of the body, although with less frequency, including:
- meninges of the brain and spinal cord (most common)
- lower limb (particularly thigh)
- soft tissues of the head and neck
- orbit
- larynx
- sinonasal cavity 4
- lung - primary pulmonary chondrosarcoma - very rare
- solid organs
- pancreas 2
Radiographic features
Their appearance is the same as that of chondrosarcomas elsewhere (see generic chondrosarcoma article for radiographic features).
Differential diagnoses
- sarcomas
- benign lesions
Related Radiopaedia articles
Bone tumours
The differential diagnosis for bone tumors is dependent on the age of the patient, with a very different set of differentials for the pediatric patient.
-
bone tumors
- bone-forming tumors
- cartilage-forming tumors
- fibrous bone lesions
- bone marrow tumors
- other bone tumors or tumor-like lesions
- adamantinoma
- aneurysmal bone cyst
- benign fibrous histiocytoma
- chordoma
- giant cell tumor of bone
- Gorham massive osteolysis
- hemangioendothelioma
- haemophilic pseudotumor
- intradiploic epidermoid cyst
- intraosseous lipoma
- musculoskeletal angiosarcoma
- musculoskeletal hemangiopericytoma
- primary intraosseous hemangioma
- post-traumatic cystic bone lesion
- simple bone cyst
-
skeletal metastases
- morphology
- location
- impending fracture risk
- staging
- approach