title: [Surgical treatment of head and neck chondrosarcomas].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Head and neck chondrosarcomas may adopt different locations and biological behaviour.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a retrospective clinical series of 17 chondrosarcomas surgically treated in our Department from 1977 until 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chondrosarcomas were located in the nasosinusal area (n=6), larynx (n=5), petrous bone (n=3), atlas (n=1), parapharyngeal space (n=1) and trachea (n=1). All patients except for one underwent surgery with radical intention. The mean follow-up period was 84 months (median, 71 months). Six patients developed recurrent disease with a mean latency of 10 months. Two patients died due to the disease and two remained alive with evidence of tumour. Patients with grade I chondrosarcomas presented less recurrent disease than those with grade II or III chondrosarcomas (17% versus 80%, P=0.029). The estimated 5-year survival was 88% with the better survival of patients with grade I chondrosarcomas reaching statistical significance (P=0.023). In 2 patients with cricoid chondrosarcomas, the reconstruction was carried out using the Rethi-Ward technique, and they were without evidence of disease at 71 months (with no cannula) and 145 months (with cannula). Chondrosarcomas of the jugular foramen were treated using a modified infratemporal type A approach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low grade head and neck chondrosarcomas have a good prognosis while high grade chondrosarcomas tend to recur, despite radical surgical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Obeso
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Llorente
authors.forename: Juan Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Díaz-Molina
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Fernández
authors.forename: Juan Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suárez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery