Date Posted: June 10, 2026

Author/s: Lerico T. Reyes, MD and Danilo D. Deveza Jr., MD, FPSOHNS

Chondrosarcomas are malignant neoplasms that are generally slow-growing tumors, characterized by formation of hyaline cartilaginous neoplastic tissue. It accounts for 20% of malignant bone tumors and rarely affects the spine and craniofacial bones. A 45-year-old female presented with a 1-year history of pain and swelling on the left mandible who underwent excision of mass and was diagnosed as odontogenic myxoma. Recurrence of the mass occurred and a plain head and neck CT scan revealed a large multilobulated, expansile, heterogeneously, hypodense to isodense mass with scattered micro and macro-calcifications occupying the left maxillary and mandibular regions. The patient underwent tracheostomy tube insertion followed by wide excision of submandibular mass, hemimandibulectomy with reconstruction plate with pectoralis major myocutaeneous flap under general anesthesia. Final histopathology revealed a low grade chondrosarcoma with positive S-100 staining. Patient was discharged against medical advice and was lost to follow up. There was recurrence of the tumor which resulted to severe tumor bleed which led to the patient’s demise. This case report highlights the challenges in diagnosing malignant bone tumors as well as the surgical management and approach to such cases. A collaboration with the clinician, radiologist and pathologist is recommended to quickly recognize and diagnose such cases which have an aggressive type of tumor.

Keywords:
Jaw, chondrosarcoma, mandible, odontogenic, myxoma