Mediastinal chondrosarcoma is exceedingly rare. Moreover, it is particularly unusual in the posterior mediastinum. Actually, very few cases of chondrosarcoma of the posterior mediastinum are gleaned from the literature. On the other hand, neurogenic tumors make even more than 75% of all tumors in the posterior mediastinum, and they are most often schwannomas that account for about 90% of all dumbbell-shaped tumors. Exceptionally, a dumbbell-shaped mass may correspond to a chondrosarcoma. We report a case of a 48-year-old Moroccan woman who presented with a complaint of intermittent electric shock type pain in the right side of chest radiating to the ipsilateral arm over six months period. No apparent distress or mass was found during the physical examination. Chest X-ray showed wellcircumscribed opacity located in the upper right part of the posterior mediastinum. Neck and chest computed tomography (CT) scans followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were carried out and revealed a dumbbellshaped mass of the posterior mediastinum. Such radiologic findings have oriented towards the diagnosis of cystic schwannoma. As pathologic results were inconclusive after a CT-guided fine needle biopsy, the patient underwent tumor resection via right posterolateral thoracotomy. Histopathological examination of surgical resection specimen revealed a grade II chondrosarcoma with the invasion of peripheral margins. Therefore, the patient received adjuvant radiation therapy to the tumor bed. Our case suggests that in the case of a dumbbell-shaped or thoracic paravertebral tumor a diagnosis other than nerve sheath tumor should be considered, including chondrosarcoma.

Adenoid cystic carcinomas are rare malignant tumors that commonly arise from major and minor salivary glands and are characterized by slow growth, frequent local recurrences, and high incidence of distant metastasis, especially reported in patients with advanced stage tumors. Adenoid cystic carcinomas can rarely occur in other areas of the head and neck region, notably in the nasal cavity. Moreover, adenoid cystic carcinoma limited to the nasal septum is particularly unusual and has been the subject of a small number of published cases only. We discuss here a case of a 42 year-old woman diagnosed with early stage adenoid cystic carcinoma of the posterior nasal septum, treated solely with surgical resection via endoscopic approach. During five years of follow-up, no local recurrence or distant metastasis has been detected.

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Dermatomyositis (DM) is an uncommon inflammatory disease with characteristic cutaneous findings associated with muscle weakness. Although the majority of cases of DM is idiopathic, an increased incidence of underlying malignancy in patients with dermatomyositis has been reported. An underlying breast cancer is found in nearly 10% of cases of malignancy-associated DM. We report a case of a 50-year-old nulliparous woman who was diagnosed with dermatomyositis according to Bohan & Peter criteria. After performing a cancer screening which was negative, the patient was treated with topical and oral corticosteroids; then she was put under immunosuppressors with minimal improvement. One year later, a right breast mass was detected at systemic clinical examination prompting diagnostic workup of breast cancer. After mammogram which showed a suspicious mass, the patient underwent stereotactic breast biopsy which revealed an invasive ductal carcinoma. Computed Tomography (CT) scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis and bone scan revealed no distant metastases. The patient underwent mastectomy and axillary dissection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and adjuvant tamoxifen. Simultaneously, she continued the treatment for her Dermatomyositis. Her cutaneous and musculoskeletal symptoms improved dramatically following the treatment of her breast cancer. After four years of uneventful follow-up, the patient reported the recurrence of symptoms suggestive of dermatomyositis. A thoracic-abdominal-pelvic CT scan has been performed and revealed distant metastases. Therefore, our case demonstrates the parallel evolution between dermatomyositis and breast cancer after surgery, local radiotherapy and systemic therapy.