Chest wall secondary chondrosarcoma caused by malignant degeneration of an enchondroma: case report and literature review

Introduction: Enchondromas are benign tumors originating in the cartilaginous tissue of the hyaline gristle, rarely located in the chest wall. They sometimes undergo a sarcomatous transformation, becoming secondary chondrosarcomas.
Case presentation: We present the case of a 53-year-old patient who, following a chest computed tomography scan performed after a thoracic trauma, was diagnosed with an osteolytic tumor at the chondrocostal junction of rib 4. Surgery was performed, with partial straight resection of ribs 3–5. Histopathological examination of the resection piece identified the existence of a chest wall chondrosarcoma on the background of malignant degeneration of an enchondromatosis lesion. The postoperative evolution was favorable, and the patient was discharged on the eighth postoperative day.
Conclusion: In patients with even asymptomatic chest wall enchondromas, periodic clinical evaluation of these lesions is required, given their risk of malignant degeneration.