Subglottic chondrosarcoma presenting only mild acute-onset dyspnea: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Chondrosarcoma is categorized as a malignant cartilaginous tumor, which occurs rarely in the craniofacial region. We report the case of a 68-year-old man with chondrosarcoma in the subglottic area. His chief symptoms were hoarseness and mild dysphagia. A computed tomography scan revealed a lesion with expansion of the cricoid cartilage and marked reduction of the airway. After biopsy, histological inspection showed that chondrocytes are multi-nucleus, their size does not differ much and mitosis is not obvious. These are all characteristics of a low-grade chondrosarcoma. We performed an organ-preserving operation by debulking the low-grade malignant tumor in order to keep a patent airway. No further metastasis or airway compromise was evident during the 1-year follow-up visit. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.