CT and MRI findings of intracranial extraskeletal mesenchymal and myxoid chondrosarcoma: report of 3 rare cases and literature review

Intracranial extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (IEMC) and intracranial extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (IEMYC) are rare, highly malignant tumors. To date, only 82 cases of IEMC and 20 cases of IEMYC have been reported worldwide. This study presents two young patients with IEMC and one with IEMYC, all of whom underwent comprehensive imaging evaluations followed by surgical resection. We conducted a systematic literature review with a specific focus on analyzing and comparing the clinical and imaging characteristics of these two entities. To our knowledge, this represents the first comparative study delineating the clinical and imaging distinctions between IEMC and IEMYC. Through detailed data analysis, we identified clinically significant imaging patterns and biological behavior differences between these tumor subtypes. These findings enhance the understanding of IEMC and IEMYC characteristics, providing valuable insights to guide early diagnosis, accurate radiological assessment, and therapeutic decision-making.