Fine-needle aspiration of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma of the larynx

We present a case of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma of the larynx in which the dedifferentiated component was initially diagnosed by fine-needle aspi ration (FNA). The patient was a 74-yr-old man who presented with difficulty breathing and an anterior neck mass. A CT scan demonstrated a 4.5-cm carti laginous lesion involving the left thyroid cartilage, with an anterior soft -tissue component. Nine years prior, the patient had an incomplete resectio n of a low-grade chondrosarcoma at the same site. FNA was performed on the current lesion, demonstrating a high-grade spindle-cell sarcoma with a stor iform pattern. The cytomorphology together with immunocytochemistry and ele ctron microscopy were diagnostic of malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), a nd synthesis of the clinical, radiographic, and cytomorphologic features re sulted in a diagnosis of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma. The cytologic dia gnosis was histologically confirmed by laryngectomy. Although rare. dediffe rentiated chondrosarcoma should be included in the differential diagnosis o f high-grade sarcomas of bone and cartilage assessed by FNA. Diagn. Cytopat hol. 2000, 22:288-292. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss. Inc.