Radiological evaluation of 30 cases of chondrosarcomas of the head and neck region

Thirty patients were evaluated with CT (five also underwent MR imaging). The location, extent, and imaging patterns are described in detail. The results of the study are as follows: chondrosarcomas in the base of skull occur most often in the sphenoid bone, including the sphenoid sinus and clivus; calcifications were present in 75% of cases; CT demonstrated calcifications optimally, while MR imaging defined the boundary of the tumor to better advantage, especially the intracranial component; chrondrosarcoma with tumor calcification cannot be differentiated from osteogenic sarcoma or chordoma; and the grade of malignancy is not related to calcification in head and neck chondrosarcomas compared with peripheral chondrosarcomas