Chondrosarcoma of the hyoid bone - Report of a case and a literature review of the suitable treatment strategy

Chondrosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor occurring in the trunk and long bones. We present an extremely rare case of chondrosarcoma of the hyoid bone with clinical and pathological correlation and a literature review. We searched all cases of the hyoid chondrosarcoma in PubMed (MEDLINE) between 1990 and 2015. Eighteen cases were analyzed, including the present case. Most of them were low grade type. In 12 cases where intraoperative findings were recorded, no adhesion to the surrounding tissue was observed. Chondrosarcoma of the hyoid bone is usually low grade type, and there may be no invasion to the adjacent structures even if invasion is suspected by imaging findings. In order to preserve swallowing and laryngeal function, total hyoidectomy without laryngectomy should be indicated according to the intraoperative findings. Needle biopsy is an effective diagnostic technique, but open biopsy should be avoided to prevent the dissemination. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first presentation of hyoid bone chondrosarcoma with the investigation of intraoperative findings and pre-operative diagnostic modality.