pituitary chondrosarcoma presenting as a sellar and suprasellar mass with parasellar extension: an unusual presentation

chondrosarcoma is a mesenchymal tumor composed of tumor cells producing cartilage. it is more common in older age and often affects the axial skeleton. we report a rare case of chondrosarcoma mimicking a sellar and suprasellar mass with parasellar extension. a 40 yr woman presented with decreasing visual acuity and headache. magnetic resonance (mr) image revealed a cystic sellar and suprasellar mass with parasellar extension showing mild enhancing solid component. it favored the diagnosis of craniopharyngioma. the patient underwent trans-sphenoidal partial resection of the tumor resulting in removal of the sellar mass. however, the suprasellar mass could not be excised completely due to limited surgical field. the pathologic diagnosis was chondrosarcoma. eight months after the operation, pterional approach was performed to remove the remaining mass. intraoperative findings confirmed that the mass originated from dorsum sellae.