Parosteal osteosarcoma: case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The majority of osteosarcoma cases of the head and neck are high-grade lesions. We present a case and discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of a rare low-grade parosteal osteosarcoma of the maxilla.

METHODS: A 32-year-old man presenting to the Head and Neck Surgical Oncology clinic with a 1-year history of a firm palatal mass. Evaluation clinically and radiographically raised the suspicion of an osteosarcoma.

RESULTS: A partial maxillectomy revealed a parosteal osteosarcoma with negative margins. No adjuvant therapy was recommended, and the patient remains without evidence of local recurrence after 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS: Parosteal osteosarcomas of the head and neck region are rare, low-grade variants of osteosarcoma, but have the potential to recur with simple local excision. Clinical and radiographic features are diagnostically helpful. Definitive diagnosis comes from histopathology, and wide local resection should be employed as the optimal treatment.