It is extremely rare to have recurrence of a chondroma following complete excision nor do they exhibit metastatic potential. Histologically, chondromas appear as normal cartilage with defined lobules with low cellularity and absence of nuclear atypia. Chondrometaplasia is a common lesion that must be differentiated from a neoplastic cartilaginous lesion. They are nodules less than 1cm that occur on the ventricular bands and vocal cords. They may present with hoarseness but are often asymptomatic.
Elastic cartilage is present versus hyaline cartilage.
There is not a lobular pattern but a zone of transition from a fibroblast periphery to elastic cartilage is present. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are of little value in the treatment plan. The choice of initial surgery is often difficult but should be based on the site, size, and grade of the lesion. Small lesions of the arytenoid and epiglottis can be removed endoscopically. Thyroid cartilage lesions may be removed through an extralaryngeal approach.