Parafalcine chondrosarcoma: report of a case and review of the literature

Abstract

Intracranial chondrosarcomas are cartilaginous tumours that are extremely rare with an estimated incidence of less than 0.16% of all intracranial neoplasms. They arise from the skull base synchondrosis or exceptionally from cartilaginous rests within the dura mater. This kind of tumours presents clinical features mimicking meningiomas, with symptoms secondary to mass effect (increased intracranial pressure, local brain dysfunction, cranial nerve palsies) and seizures. Intracranial chondrosarcomas are more frequently seen between 3 months and 76 years of age, with a peak around the third decade, with an equal sex distribution. The authors report a case of a 32-year-old woman with a chondrosarcoma of the falx cerebri.