Laryngeal chondrosarcoma in Sweden

Chondrosarcoma of the Thyroid Cartilage Successfully Treated With Partial Resection of the Thyroid Cartilage

Chondrosarcoma of the thyroid cartilage is a sporadic disease with nonspecific clinical presentation. Smooth swelling of the supraglottic area should arouse suspicion of possible pathology. In addition to laryngoceles, which usually do not have a significant impact, otolaryngologists should consider chondrosarcoma of the thyroid cartilage and indicate computed tomography (CT). Late diagnosis leads to worse prognosis, particularly worse voice after more extensive surgery, need for tracheostomy, and worse survival from higher degree chondrosarcomas.

Survival outcomes in laryngeal chondrosarcoma: a systematic review

Laryngeal chondrosarcomas (LCS) are rare lesions that behave as locally aggressive tumours, producing symptoms such as dysphonia, dyspnoea, dysphagia and hoarseness. Different approaches for the treatment of LCS have been described in the literature. The main purpose of this investigation was to find all cases of LCS published to date and analyse management data and survival outcomes. In December 2020, a systematic review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) method including articles published up to this date on different aspects of LCS. The search included the terms larynx, laryngeal, chondrosarcoma. A total of 148 articles were included in this systematic review describing 381 cases of LCS. Dyspnoea was the most reported symptom followed by hoarseness and neck mass sensation. Cricoid cartilage was the most usual location. Survival rate was influenced by both surgical technique (log-rank = 11.7; p = 0.008) and the degree of tumour histologic differentiation (log-rank = 18.3; p = 0.003).

Regional Lymph Node Involvement Is Associated With Poorer Survivorship in Patients With Chondrosarcoma: A SEER Analysis

BACKGROUND

Regional lymph node involvement is thought to be rare in patients with chondrosarcoma, but its actual prevalence is unclear. Additionally, it is often not considered when prognostic factors are analyzed in patients with chondrosarcoma. However, it has been well established that lymph node involvement is a poor prognostic marker in patients with many types of bone and soft tissue sarcoma, including rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and Ewing's sarcoma. Although lymph node metastases are rare among all sarcoma types, it is important to consider whether lymph node metastases should be assessed in patients with chondrosarcoma because these metastases may impact survival.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

(1) What is the reported prevalence of regional lymph node involvement in patients with chondrosarcoma? (2) Do patients who have chondrosarcomas with regional lymph node involvement have different clinicopathologic presentations and survival than patients without regional lymph node involvement? (3) Is regional lymph node involvement independently associated with prognosis in patients with chondrosarcoma?

METHODS

The data of patients with chondrosarcoma registered in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database (SEER) (1988-2015) were analyzed for the reported prevalence of regional lymph node involvement and its relationship with clinicopathologic features and the 5-year overall survival rate. From 1988 to 2015, 5528 patients with chondrosarcoma were registered in the SEER database. After screening by the inclusion criterion-chondrosarcoma as the first primary tumor, diagnosis with histology confirmation, patients with active followup and available information about regional node status-3374 patients met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Demographics and clinicopathologic data were compared using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the adjusted odds ratio. The overall survival rate was estimated with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. Univariate and multivariate analyses of overall survival were performed with Cox proportional hazard models. In addition, a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the final Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

Forty-four patients (1.3%) were recorded in the database as having regional lymph node involvement at the time of the primary diagnosis. Lymph node metastases were more likely to be reported in an extraskeletal primary site (3% [13 of 426] versus 1% [31 of 2948], adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.9, 95% CI, 1.5-5.8; p = 0.003) for bone primary sites and tumors with maximum diameter ≥ 8 cm (2% [26 of 1045] versus 1% [10 of 1075], adjusted OR = 2.9, 95% CI, 1.3-6.3; p = 0.008) and poorer differentiation (4% [24 of 608] versus 1% [14 of 2308], adjusted OR = 4.0, 95% CI, 2.0-8.2; p < 0.001), and in those with distant metastases (7% [14 of 203] versus 1% [30 of 3148], adjusted OR = 3.5, 95% CI, 1.7-7.1, p = 0.001). The 5-year overall survival rates of patients with and without regional lymph node involvement were 28% (95% CI, 15-42%) and 77% (95% CI, 75-78%), respectively (p < 0.001). After controlling for age, sex, race, grade, metastatic status, size, and histologic subtype, the presence of regional lymph node involvement was associated with poorer survival (hazard ratio, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.50-3.24; p < 0.001); this finding was confirmed in several sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of regional lymph node involvement in patients with chondrosarcoma was 1.3% in the SEER database. Although chondrosarcomas are rare, patients with chondrosarcomas who have regional node metastases have a poorer prognosis than those who have not reported to have them. This may underrepresent the true proportion of patients with lymph node metastases given the inaccuracies of reporting in this database, but we believe these findings indicate that clinicians should examine patients more carefully for chondrosarcoma with lymph node metastases. Future studies are needed to assess potential treatment strategies to improve the prognosis of these patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, prognostic study.

Differing characteristics of cartilaginous lesions of the larynx

Introduction

The tissues of the laryngeal region only rarely harbor primary cartilaginous lesions, and squamous cell carcinoma remains the most frequently encountered malignant tumor in this area.

Materials and Methods

We reviewed the salient histological features of cartilaginous laryngeal lesions to provide differential diagnostics and guidelines for distinguishing the benign from the malignant ones.

Results

Cartilaginous neoplasms of the larynx include chondroma and chondrosarcoma. Among the overarching group of all forms of laryngeal sarcoma, chondrosarcoma forms the most common entity in the larynx, followed by rhabdomyosarcoma. Cartilaginous tumors comprise about 0.1%–1% of all laryngeal neoplasms with chondrosarcomas being more frequently encountered than chondromas. Several neoplasms earlier reported as giant-cell tumors of the larynx would most likely, using current terminology, be classified as cases of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (previously known as malignant fibrous histiocytoma, giant-cell variant) or aneurysmal bone cyst.

Conclusion

When true laryngeal sarcomas do exist, they may prove to be challenging lesions both for the pathologist and the treating clinician. The diagnostic problems are mainly a result of the infrequent exposure of clinicians and diagnosticians to these lesions.

Chondrosarcoma of the Larynx: Presentation of a Case and Review of the Literature

Chondrosarcoma of the larynx is a rare tumor of the upper respiratory tract that originates from cartilaginous tissue. The cricoid cartilage is the most frequent site of onset at the larynx. The diagnosis is not always easy, given the tumor's slow growth rate, the aspecificity of the symptoms, and the low degree of malignancy with which most cases present and which often causes it to be mistaken for a chondroma. A case is presented of a 61-year-old woman with a chondrosarcoma of the larynx, grade 2, originating from the cricoid cartilage and measuring about 3 cm in diameter. The patient underwent extirpation of the tumor together with the cricoid cartilage, with a successive thyrotracheal anastomosis because she refused a total laryngectomy, which would have been the indicated intervention on the basis of the extent and grade of the neoplasm. At 6 years from surgery, the patient is in a good state of health with good laryngeal function and without recurrence of the disease. This fact confirms that the surgical approach to chondrosarcoma of the larynx can in most cases be conservative, reserving demolitive surgery for the more aggressive forms, for tumors of greater extent, and for recurrences. In fact, good laryngeal function and therefore a good quality of life can be maintained even for long periods of time.

Laryngeal chondrosarcoma: A systematic review of 592 cases

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

Laryngeal chondrosarcomas are rare entities that arise from the cartilaginous structures of the larynx, including the cricoid, thyroid cartilage, epiglottis, and arytenoid cartilages. These tumors represent a minority of malignancies involving the larynx and can be mistaken for benign pathologies. The treatment has historically been surgical excision, often by total laryngectomy. This review investigates treatment modalities and patient outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review using PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE database.

METHODS

The databases were used to identify articles reporting cases of chondrosarcomas occurring exclusively in the larynx. Variables analyzed included patient demographics, presenting symptoms, grade, therapeutic approach, patient outcomes, and follow-up.

RESULTS

Five hundred and ninety-two cases were identified. The average age reported was 62.5 years. There was a 3:1 male to female ratio. The most common surgical approach was local excision in 178 cases, followed by total laryngectomy in 174 cases. Nonsurgical treatment such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy was only used in 0.8% and 0.2%, respectively. Disease-specific survival rates for 1, 5, 10, and 20 years were 97.7%, 91.4%, 81.8%, and 68.0%, respectively, with no differences when comparing 5-year survival rates for location, grade, and therapy.

CONCLUSION

Laryngeal chondrosarcomas are rare with a good prognosis. Various surgical approaches exist, with no difference noted in 5-year survival outcomes. Nonsurgical approaches were rarely used for these lesions.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

N/A. Laryngoscope, 2016 127:430-439, 2017.

Chondrosarcoma of the larynx: a clinicopathologic study of 111 cases with a review of the literature

Chondrosarcomas of the larynx are rare tumors accounting for about 0.5% of all laryngeal primary tumors. A total of 111 laryngeal chondrosarcoma cases, diagnosed between 1970 and 1997, were retrieved from the Otorhinolaryngic-Head & Neck Tumor Registry of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. There was a 3.6:1 male/female ratio of patients 25-91 years of age (mean, 64.4 years). Patients presented most frequently with hoarseness (n = 72 patients) present for a mean of 28.2 months. The majority of tumors involved the cricoid cartilage (n = 77) with a mean size of 3.5 cm. All tumors were invasive and malignant by radiology and/or histology (into bone within the ossified laryngeal cartilages in 52 tumors). Most tumors were low-grade lesions: grade 1 (n = 51), grade 2 (n = 54); there were six grade 3 tumors. An associated benign chondroma with (n = 41 tumors) or without ischemia (n = 24 tumors) was noted. All patients had surgery and five had radiation therapy. Wide excision or voice-sparing surgery was used in 73 patients, whereas 37 patients had a laryngectomy. Recurrences occurred in 20 (18%) patients, 10 of whom underwent salvage laryngectomy. At the last follow-up, 102 patients had no evidence of disease (alive or dead, mean 11.2 years) and five patients had evidence of disease (alive, one patient, 6.5 years; dead, four patients, mean 6.4 years). The six patients with high-grade chondrosarcoma were all without disease at the last follow-up (mean, 15.1 years). There was no difference in clinical outcome based on grade (p = 0.210), location (p = 0.078), or treatment (p = 0.607) but was worse for patients with a myxoid-type chondrosarcoma (p = 0.044). Primary laryngeal chondrosarcomas are typically low- to moderate-grade lesions involving the cricoid cartilage, frequently associated with a chondroma. They usually portend an excellent overall long-term prognosis with initial conservative voice-sparing surgery.

Tumores cartilaginosos da laringe

Introdução: Os tumores cartilaginosos da laringe são raros, sendo a cartilagem cricóide a mais acometida. A raridade desses tumores tem como conseqüência experiência limitada e, portanto, o conhecimento a respeito destas neoplasias apresenta pontos obscuros. Objetivo: Apresentar os resultados cirúrgicos bem como o seguimento a longo prazo de 6 pacientes com tumores cartilaginosos da laringe, 4 condrossarcomas de baixa malignidade e 2 condromas. Forma de estudo: Retrospectivo não randomizado. Material e método: Cinco dos tumores acometiam a cartilagem cricóide e 1 a tireóide. Os pacientes foram submetidos a laringectomia parcial (4) e total (2), com seguimento de 6 a 30 anos (média-19,5 anos). Resultados: Nenhum dos pacientes apresentou metástase ou morte relacionada ao tumor. A sobrevida alcançada por 5 anos foi de 100% e a por 20 anos, 67%, sendo a comorbidade responsável por tal decréscimo. Conclusões: Nossos resultados reforçam o conceito de que a laringectomia conservadora seja a modalidade ideal de tratamento, reservando a ressecção total para tumores extensos ou casos de recorrência. Há indícios de que 5 anos pode não ser tempo suficiente para observar recorrência no condrossarcoma de baixo grau de malignidade.

Long-term follow-up of cartilaginous tumors of the larynx

BACKGROUND

Cartilaginous tumors of the larynx are uncommon. A literature review disclosed approximately 250 cases since 1816; the cricoid cartilage is the most common site. The rarity of these tumors has made for limited experience and, as a consequence, our knowledge is incomplete.

OBJECTIVE

To report surgical results as well as long-term follow-up on 6 patients with cartilaginous tumors of the larynx.

DESIGN

A 28-year retrospective study with the patients followed-up from 6 to 28 years (average, 17.8 years).

METHODS

Six adult white male patients with cartilaginous tumors of the larynx: 4 low-grade chondrosarcoma (1 of the thyroid and 3 of the cricoid) and 2 chondroma of the cricoid. Surgical treatment included total laryngectomy of the thyroid and 1 of the cricoid chondrosarcoma, and conservation surgery of the other 4 cricoid tumors: the 2 patients with chondrosarcoma had total resection of the cricoid cartilage with thyrotracheal anastomosis, and the 2 patients with chondroma had local tumor resection using a laryngofissure approach.

RESULTS

The margins of the specimen were negative for tumor in the 6 patients. On follow-up, none of the patients had regional or distant metastasis or tumor-related death. One of the patients with cricoid chondrosarcoma developed recurrence 8 years after conservation surgery, and required a total laryngectomy for salvage. Survival rate tumor-free at 5 years was 100% and at 10 years 67%, co-morbidity being responsible for the decrease in survival rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on this small series of patients, the long-term follow-up of benign and low-grade malignant tumors suggests that the surgical approach and prognosis does not depend on histologic distinction and, importantly, underdiagnosed malignancy on tumor sampling and recurrent chondrosarcoma, managed with salvage surgery, have no adverse impact on patient survival. Total resection of the cricoid cartilage with thyrotracheal anastomosis over a stent proved an alternative surgical technique in chondrosarcoma who otherwise would have been treated by total laryngectomy.

Laryngeal chondrosarcoma: a 24-year experience at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital

This paper presents a review of the experience of 12 patients with chondrosarcoma of the larynx treated at The Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, London, over the last 24 years. This represents the largest European series and the third largest in the world. Chondrosarcoma is the most frequent non-epithelial malignant tumor of the larynx, with 83.3% of cases arising from the cricoid cartilage in our series. We have shown that deep wedge biopsy with a CO2 laser, aided by computerized tomography scanning, gives the most reliable diagnosis. Laryngeal chondrosarcoma is characterized by indolent growth, a potential for local recurrence and, infrequently, by metastases. The treatment details of our patients are discussed. Adequate partial resection is often successful and use of CO2 laser as the initial treatment in five of these cases is presented.

Chondrosarcoma of the larynx: the role of radiotherapy revisited--a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Experience in the treatment of laryngeal chondrosarcoma is based on about 250 cases reported to date. The standard therapy is conservative surgery. Radiotherapy has universally been regarded as ineffective in the treatment of this disease.

METHODS

A patient with a laryngeal chondrosarcoma was observed for 11 years after radical radiotherapy. The literature on laryngeal chondrosarcoma was critically reviewed, with emphasis placed on radiotherapy.

RESULTS

The review of the literature revealed that experience with radiotherapy of laryngeal chondrosarcoma has been lacking, with fewer than 10 cases with short follow-up documented up to now. Meanwhile, increasing evidence of the efficacy of radiotherapy in the treatment of skeletal chondrosarcoma has emerged. The authors report the first case of chondrosarcoma of the larynx in which radical radiotherapy resulted in a long term remission of more than 10 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Radiotherapy should be considered when radical surgery is not feasible without severe mutilation. It should also be considered for the treatment of residual disease. Laryngectomy should be restricted to salvage treatment when radiotherapy fails. In this study, radiotherapy appeared to be an effective modality in the treatment of low grade laryngeal chondrosarcoma, and these results contrast with the current widespread disapproval of this treatment.

Laryngeal chondrosarcomas: the Mayo Clinic experience

BACKGROUND

Laryngeal chondrosarcomas occur infrequently. Their management is often guided by inferences made from the management of sarcomas arising from more commonly afflicted organs.

METHOD

A retrospective analysis of patients with laryngeal chondrosarcomas treated at the Mayo Clinic between 1959 and 1992 was performed to assess prognostic factors and outcomes after various treatments.

RESULTS

A total of 20 patients received treatment during this time period. All chondrosarcomas were low grade; 19 involved the cricoid cartilage and one arose in the supraglottic larynx. Initial treatment consisted of local excision (often subtotal removal) alone in 12 patients (60%), hemilaryngectomy in 2 (10%), near total laryngectomy in 2 (10%), and total laryngectomy in 4 (20%). Six patients (30%) had local recurrence: five initially had local excision and one had hemilaryngectomy. All local recurrences or tumor progression developed >3 years after initial treatment. Salvage surgery was performed in five of the six patients who had local recurrence, and the other patient was observed. Of the five patients who had salvage surgery, three required another resection because of a second recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that initial conservative subtotal laryngectomy should be explored further because this treatment may provide long-term voice preservation in most patients, and patients who experience a recurrence after local excision often have been given several years of voice preservation.

Cartilaginous tumors of the larynx: clinicopathologic review of 47 cases

We reviewed the clinical and pathologic features of 47 laryngeal cartilaginous tumors treated at the Mayo Clinic. This represents the largest reported series of these tumors. The patient group consisted of 36 men (77%) and 11 women (mean age, 63 years; range, 44 to 91 years). The tumors included 44 chondrosarcomas, all low-grade, and 3 chondromas. The overall 5-year survival was 90.1%, which did not differ significantly from the expected survival. Laryngectomy was performed as primary treatment for chondrosarcoma in 6 patients. Of the patients with chondrosarcoma, 40% had tumor recurrence or symptomatic tumor progression at an average of 4.5 years after diagnosis. Only 15 of the patients with chondrosarcoma (34%) required total laryngectomy. There were no metastases, and 4 patients died of local disease (all received treatment before 1960). At latest follow-up, 34 patients with chondrosarcoma (77%) were alive without disease or had died of other causes. We conclude that laryngeal chondrosarcoma can be treated with conservative surgery in most cases, both initially and for recurrent disease.

Postirradiation laryngeal osteosarcoma: case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Laryngeal sarcoma is a rare disease entity. In review of the literature, chondrosarcoma is the most common sarcoma, followed by fibrosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is very rare; there are only seven cases reported in the literature. Postirradiation sarcoma is a late complication of radiotherapy. Osteosarcoma is the most common type in this group. The larynx is often involved in the radiation field of treatment for head and neck malignancies. However, postirradiation laryngeal osteosarcoma has not yet been reported.

METHODS

We present a 56-year-old man who under went radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma 32 years ago and later developed a laryngeal osteosarcoma.

RESULTS

The patient underwent total laryngectomy but died 1 year and 9 months later with locally extensive disease.

CONCLUSIONS

We report the first case of postirradiation laryngeal osteosarcoma. In addition to surgical treatment, adjunctive therapies should be considered for this group of patients.

Cartilaginous tumors of the larynx

Cartilaginous tumors of the larynx, while rare, will on occasion be encountered by the otolaryngologist in routine daily practice. True laryngeal chondromas are exceedingly rare, and as a consequence, a putative diagnosis of chondroma should be viewed with suspicion. On pathologic examination, laryngeal chondromas usually prove to be small lesions (less than 2 cm in maximum dimension) and may arise in children or adults. Laryngeal chondrosarcomas, by contrast, usually prove to be larger lesions (exceeding 3 cm in greatest dimension) and are typically found in adults. While high-grade chondrosarcomas are readily identifiable on light microscopic study, the distinction between a chondroma and a low-grade chondrosarcoma is often not so clear-cut. Some low-grade chondrosarcomas may show a slight increase in both cellularity and cytologic atypia when compared with chondromas, but the two patterns often overlap. When faced with a limited biopsy specimen of a laryngeal cartilaginous lesion in which neither increased cellularity nor recognizable cytologic atypia is found, a diagnosis of "cartilaginous tumor without obvious evidence of malignancy--further classification dependent on examination of the lesion in its entirety," or words to this effect, is recommended.

A rare cause of laryngeal distress: chondrosarcoma of the larynx

Laryngeal chondrosarcomas are much less aggressive lesions than chondrosarcomas that arise elsewhere in the body. Two cases of chondrosarcoma of the larynx encountered during a seven year period are presented, with a review of the literature. Computed tomographic (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings are described. The MRI findings of laryngeal chondrosarcoma are compared to those of cartilaginous tumors elsewhere in the body. The differential diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of laryngeal chondrosarcomas are discussed.

Laryngeal chondrosarcoma: is conservative surgery adequate treatment?

A case of laryngeal chondrosarcoma in a 63-year-old woman is presented. The report illustrates most of the features of this rare neoplasm, the difficulties in the histopathological evaluation and supports the previous ones that recommend an initial conservative attitude towards low grade laryngeal chondrosarcomas.

Chondrosarcoma of the larynx: a case report and review of the literature

Chondrosarcoma of the larynx is a rare disease. The condition usually presents as a space-occupying lesion in the larynx. It is usually internal, but an external mass may be noted. Diagnosis demands a deep biopsy as the tumour is submucosal. Treatment is surgical, but the extent of this surgery is dependent upon the stage of the disease. The prognosis, in most cases, is usually very good. The literature relating to chondrosarcoma of the larynx is reviewed and salient features are presented. Added interest in this case is due to the long precedent history and the difficulty in obtaining a diagnosis.

Chondrosarcoma of the larynx: review of the literature and report of three cases

Three patients with laryngeal chondrosarcoma were observed at the ENT Department of Padua University from 1966 to 1983. Including the present observations, about 150 of these neoplasms have been described in the literature. The male to female ratio was 3:1, and the age at diagnosis ranged from 33 to 91 years (median, 66 years). The rate of metastasis was 8 per cent, and histologically positive lymph nodes developed in only five patients. Surgery is the treatment of choice for laryngeal chondrosarcoma. Radical neck dissection does not appear to be indicated, unless results of clinical examination suggest metastatic lymph nodal involvement.

Proximal airway obstruction presenting as dyspnea. A case of chondrosarcoma of the larynx

A 50-year-old woman presented with a one-year history of dyspnea originally thought to be solely the result of asthma. Physical examination (indirect laryngoscopy) and x-ray study established that proximal airway compromise was present secondary to chondrosarcoma of the larynx. This case illustrates the necessity of considering proximal airway obstruction in differential diagnosis of dyspnea.