Characteristics of Laryngeal Osteosarcoma: A Critical Review

Laryngeal sarcomas constitute an extremely rare entity among head and neck malignancies. Furthermore, most of them are chondrosarcomas, and the osteogenic form remains a true rarity. In general, there is a lack of information on the characteristics of laryngeal osteosarcoma. Thus, we sought to critically review the existing world literature on laryngeal osteosarcoma in order to develop a more accurate clinicopathological profile of this malignancy. Laryngeal osteosarcoma has a predilection for elderly male patients, as 87% were male in the present series and the mean age was 62 years (range 32–80), and without a direct association with tobacco exposure. Osteosarcoma of the larynx is typically a highly malignant neoplasm that metastasizes early, has a propensity for hematogenous spread and also has a marked tendency to recur. Twelve (41%) out of the 29 cases in the present review with follow-up data had metastatic disease. The aspects that distinguish osteosarcoma from its differential diagnostic alternatives are discussed in this review.