Chondromyxoma in the Middle Cranial Fossa

The authors reported a case of chondromyxoma, which was a subentity of intracranial chondroma. A 63-year-old man was admitted with double vision and sensory disturbance of the face. Neurological examination revealed left abducens and trigeminal nerve palsies. A computerized tomography (CT) scan revealed a round-shaped mass lesion with contrast enhancement in the left middle cranial fossa. The carotid angiogram showed no tumor stain. Narrowing of the osseous portion of the internal carotid artery, medial shift of the intracranial carotid artery and elevation of the trunk of the middle cerebral artery were seen. Operation revealed an extraaxial mass made up of almost myxomatous grayish white material and small cartilagenous tumor. The ground substance of the tumor was strongly positive for Alcian blue stain, denoting an acid mucopolysaccharide material, and the cartilagenous cells were positive for periodic acid-Schiff stain, indicating glucoprotein. These macroscopic and microscopic investigations confirmed the diagnosis of chondromyxoma. The histological characteristics and CT findings of the intracranial chondroma were discussed.