Tracheal chondrosarcoma

Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2008 Apr;56(4):199-202. doi: 10.1007/s11748-007-0218-3. Epub 2008 Apr 10.

Abstract

Tracheal chondrosarcomas are rare, with only 14 cases previously documented. We report a case of chondrosarcoma of the trachea and review other published cases. Our patient was a 34-year-old man who began to feel shortness of breath 8 months after initial hemoptysis. Transverse and coronal computed tomography demonstrated a tumor that was obstructing nearly 80% of the tracheal lumen at the thoracic inlet. A bronchoscopic biopsy specimen led to an initial diagnosis of chondroma. Five tracheal rings from the third to the seventh including the tumor were completely resected, and an end-to-end anastomosis was performed. The histological diagnosis of the surgical specimen showed it to be a chondrosarcoma. The patient was alive without recurrence at 6 years 4 months after surgery. Because recurrence after incomplete resection and malignant transformation can occur with chondromas, radical resection of the trachea is recommended for all cartilaginous tumors of the trachea.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chondrosarcoma* / diagnosis
  • Chondrosarcoma* / surgery
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Tracheal Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Tracheal Neoplasms* / surgery