Chondrosarcoma

Article

A 52-year-old man presents with anterior chest pain. A left chest wall mass is seen arising from the anterior aspect of the third left rib without evidence of extension into the lung parenchyma.

 

CLINICAL HISTORY

52-year-old man presents with anterior chest pain.

FINDINGS

Figure 1 shows a left chest wall mass arising from the anterior aspect of the third left rib without evidence of extension into the lung parenchyma. A 13-mm stalk (arrow) attaches to the mass at the neck of the third rib with a soft tissue component. Within the mass, there is also heterogeneous calcification. Figure 2 shows increased uptake at the left third anterior rib associated with an exophytic soft-tissue  (arrow) uptake. There was no other abnormal uptake to suggest metastasis.

DIAGNOSIS

Pathological evaluation revealed a grade 1 (of 3) well-differentiated chondrosarcoma arising in the background of a long-standing calcified enchondroma of the anterior aspect of the left third rib.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

Differential diagnosis of a rib mass includes osteosarcoma, osteochondroma, osteoblastoma, enchondroma, and osteoid osteoma. Other possibilities include Ewing's tumors (pediatric patients), peripheral neuroectodermal tumors, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, Paget's disease, giant cell tumor, aneurismal bone cyst, metastases, multiple myeloma (plasmacytoma), and lymphoma.

DISCUSSION

Chondrosarcomas are malignant cartilaginous tumors. They can occur as primary tumors or they may arise from preexisting lesions such as an osteochondroma or enchondroma. They are more common in men and in adults over the age of 50. The most commonly affected sites include long tubular bones, the pelvis, ribs, and vertebrae.

Wide surgical resection is the treatment of choice due to the increased incidence of local recurrence and metastatic lesions with incomplete resection.

Case submitted by Shivani Gupta, M.D., and Robert Perone, M.D., both at St. Vincent's Medical Center in New York City.

References
1. Jeung MY, Gangi A, Gasser B, et al. Imaging of chest wall disorders. Radiographics 1999;19(3):617-637.

2. Murphey MD, Flemming DJ, Boyea SR, et al. Enchondroma versus chondrosarcoma in the appendicular skeleton: differentiating features. Radiographics 1998;18(5):1213-1237.

3. Fong YC, Pairolero PC, Sim FH, et al. Chondrosarcoma of the chest wall: a retrospective clinical analysis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2004;(427):184-189.

Recent Videos
SNMMI: 18F-Piflufolastat PSMA PET/CT Offers High PPV for Local PCa Recurrence Regardless of PSA Level
SNMMI: NIH Researcher Discusses Potential of 18F-Fluciclovine for Multiple Myeloma Detection
SNMMI: What Tau PET Findings May Reveal About Modifiable Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
Emerging Insights on the Use of FES PET for Women with Lobular Breast Cancer
Can Generative AI Reinvent Radiology Reporting?: An Interview with Samir Abboud, MD
Mammography Study Reveals Over Sixfold Higher Risk of Advanced Cancer Presentation with Symptom-Detected Cancers
Combining Advances in Computed Tomography Angiography with AI to Enhance Preventive Care
Study: MRI-Based AI Enhances Detection of Seminal Vesicle Invasion in Prostate Cancer
What New Research Reveals About the Impact of AI and DBT Screening: An Interview with Manisha Bahl, MD
Can AI Assessment of Longitudinal MRI Scans Improve Prediction for Pediatric Glioma Recurrence?
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.