Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma

Abstract

Primary intracranial cartilaginous neoplasms which do not arise from bones of the skull are extremely rare (Alpers, 1935;Chorobski, Jarzymski, and Ferens, 1939;Dahlin and Henderson, 1962;Flyger, Freidenfeldt, and Orell, 1963;Siris and Angrist, 1942). We report herein two such tumours; one benign and the other malignant.CASE 1: CHONDROMA During the seventh month of pregnancy L.W., a 32-yearold white woman, began to exp-rience fainting spells of 15 minutes' duration followed by increasingly severe speech difficulty and weakness in the right arm. She was admitted to the hospital approximately one month after delivery, or three months after the onset of symptoms, at which time she was having generalized convulsions, bit her tongue, and lost consciousness for a 30 minute period.The past history, family history, and system review were negative or non-contributory except as related to the present illness.Physical examination revealed a well-developed, wellnourished, white female with mild speech slurring. There was a contusion in the right frontal region of the scalp.The fundi showed slight blurring of the nasal and upper disc margins and the pupils were equal and reacted to light. Right hemiparesis with hyperactive reflexes on the right was present. Hoffman's sign was positive on the right, but the Babinski reaction was negative. There was no astereognosis.Moderate nasal obstruction with yellowish nasal discharge was noted. Artificial dentures were well-fitting and oral hygiene was good. The breasts were full and lactating. The physical examination was otherwise negative and the blood pressure was 130/70 mm Hg.Radiographs of the skull showed a shell-like calcification on the left just posterior to the coronal suture and in the region of the middle meningeal vessels, the grooves of which appeared more pronounced on the left. The adjacent skull was thickened, but the falx, although calcified, was not shifted. The sella was intact.A left carotid arteriogram showed an abnormal vascular pattern in the left parietal area adjacent to the skull. Ventriculography disclosed downward displacement of the lateral, superior portion of the left lateral ventricle.