16429              CARTILAGINOUS HAMARTOMA

The patient was a woman aged 83 who died from massive mesenteric infarction secondary to thrombotic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery.  The heart was normal and free of thrombus.

The specimen was an incidental finding in the lower lobe of the left lung.  It consists of very large firm lobular cartilaginous hamartoma measuring 7 x 6 x 5 cms.  Its cut surface is lobular and shows areas of degeneration.  Histology shows a typical chondroma with central degeneration.