Imaging features of laryngeal chondrosarcomas: A case series and systematic review

Abstract

Background and purpose: To comprehensively summarize the characteristics of radiological findings of laryngeal conventional chondrosarcomas.

Methods: We included patients with pathologically proven laryngeal conventional chondrosarcomas with CT and /or MRI, including 41 cases from 31 publications recruited after a systematic review and 14 cases from our institution. Two board-certified radiologists reviewed and evaluated all the radiological images. The relationship between pathological grade and radiological findings was analyzed.

Results: The median long diameter of the lesion was 3.1 cm (range, 1.5-8.5 cm). The most common location was the cricoid (74.5%), followed by the thyroid (12.7%), cricoid and thyroid (7.3%), and arytenoid (5.5%). All lesions showed well-defined margins. Cortical defect/expansion (98.0%), internal low density (89.6%), and calcification (95.8%) with homogeneous and scarce contrast enhancement on contrast-enhanced CT (85.3%) were frequently observed. All cases showed high signal on T2-weighted imaging, low signal on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), and heterogeneous and mild contrast enhancement on postcontrast T1WI. No significant differences were found between the pathological grades and radiological findings.

Conclusions: In our summary of comprehensive CT and MRI findings of laryngeal conventional chondrosarcomas, we found that the knowledge of these radiological features may facilitate prompt diagnosis and appropriate management.

Keywords: CT; MRI; laryngeal chondrosarcomas; systematic review.