Chondroid hamartoma presenting as a neonatal nasal mass

We present a case of a 3-month-old female with a right nasal mass. Upon evaluation with computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and angiography, a large right intranasal mass extending through the cribiform plate, displacing the dura, was noted. The patient underwent a combined midfacial degloving and bifrontal craniotomy for complete resection of the tumor mass. Pathologic evaluation demonstrated a mesenchymal tumor with spindle and stellate cells from which islands of immature cartilage emerged. The spectrum of histologic features closely resembled a mesenchymal chondroid hamartoma typically located in the chest wall. It is the first reported case of a chondroid hamartoma of the head and neck in the literature to date. We examine the characteristics and treatment of this unusual tumor. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.