Unlike intracranial chordomas, lesions in these sites primarily present as a soft tissue mass without involvement of the skull base bone clivus, so the preoperative diagnosis of the tumor is possibly difficult. Pdf chordomas are rare tumors that can develop anywhere along the. Dec 28, 2017 chordoma is a rare type of bone cancer that happens most often in the bones of the spine or the skull. Primary chordoma in the nasal cavity and nasopharynx. A clival chordoma is a malignant tumor of the clivus. It develops at the base of the skull, in a vertebra, or at end of the spine in the sacrum or the coccyx the tail bone with about equal frequency. A 19yearold man had been treated for a chordoma of the clivus with surgical removal using the suprainfratentorial approach, followed by postoperative radiosurgery. Chordoma begins in cells that once made up a collection of cells in the developing embryo that go on to become the disks of the spine. Apr 22, 2014 much discussion about benign notochordal cell tissue in vertebrae has centered on the nature of its relationship, if any, to chordoma. Clival chordoma a clival chordoma is a malignant tumor of the clivus.
Nagasakalongterm control of clival chordoma with initial aggressive surgical resection and gamma knife radiosursery for recurrence. Itposes differentialdiagnostic problems fortheradiologist aswell. Shown below is an image demonstrating a lesion occurring in the vertebral column. Myxoid liposarcoma negative for ema and cytokeratins. Clivus chordomas seldom metastasize and usually be. Chordoma of the clivus a bone in the middle of the head is the most common location for the development of a chordoma, which is a primary bone cancer that develops from remnants of embryonic notochord in the skullbase head and spine. Chordomas are known as rare primary malign tumours that have formed from primitive notochord remains. Major differential diagnoses of the chordoma in the clivus are the other central skull base masses. Chordomas are challenging tumours which usually occur in the axial skeleton, and are particularly difficult to manage when they are situated in the clivus and upper cervical spine due to the proximity of eloquent structures. They also have a tendency for local recurrence since enbloc resection is rarely possible in these locations. Chordoma genetic and rare diseases information center. As executive director, josh works with the foundations research partners, advisors, and supporters to design, execute, and fund research initiatives focused on developing new treatments for chordoma. A schematic description of the anatomy of the clivus and its surrounding structures is provided based on the modular classification of the surgical corridors used in endoscopic skull base surgery.
Chordoma symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and causes. Background and etiopathology chordoma is a relatively rare malignant midline tumor arising in the axial skeleton, primarily at its cranial and caudal ends, that is derived from persistent embryonic notochordal cell rests. Chordomas are locally invasive and have low tendency to metastasis and have a poor prognosis in longterm followup. Radiation oncologychordoma wikibooks, open books for an. Early diagnosis of clival chordoma is important to avoid acute neurological. Transmaxillarytransnasal approach to the anterior clivus. Chordoma makes up only 6% of all bone sarcoma diagnoses and most commonly affects adults in their 40s and 50s. Chordoma is a rare, lowgrade, primary malignant skeletal tumor. This report is concerned with the radiological findings in prepontine intradural chordoma.
Difficulty distinguishing benign notochordal cell tumor. The purpose of this paper is to describe a case of clival chordoma and. Chordoma articles case reports symptoms treatment, ireland. Primary chordoma in the nasal cavity and nasopharynx is an extremely rare tumor in the extraosseous axial skeleton.
Often referred to as benign notochordal cell tumors bncts, these lesions have unique morphological features, however, differentiating between notochordal cells in discs, bnct, and chordoma can be difficult. The notochord usually disappears before birth, though a few cells may remain embedded in the bones of the spine or at the base of the skull. Chordoma is a rare bone cancer that is diagnosed in only about 300 patients in the u. Typically the mass projects posteriorly at midline, indenting the pons. The chordoma is a very rare extradural neoplasm originating from the remains of the notochord, and is especially located in the sacral and clivus. Clival tumors are growths on the clivus, a portion of bone at the base of the skull. Chordomas are confused with other tumors when they deviate from their classic appearance. We performed a retrospective analysis of a series of 14 patients with clival chordoma or chondrosarcoma who had extended endoscopic endonasal surgery from 2008 to 2016 performed by the same multidisciplinary team. Surgery for clival chordoma is challenging because infiltration to the. Features are characteristic of a chordoma which was subsequently confirmed on biopsy. Chordoma article about chordoma by the free dictionary.
They often recur after treatment, and in about 40 percent of cases the cancer spreads metastasizes to other areas of the body, such as the lungs. Aug 11, 2017 a chordoma is a rare tumor that develops from cells of the notochord, a structure that is present in the developing embryo and is important for the development of the spine. Gcts involving the clivus are extremely rare lesions and less than 15 cases are described in the literature. The rare but correct diagnosis of a clival chordoma which had invaded the brain stem and subsequently hemorrhaged was based on computed tomography and. Affymetrix gene expression profiles, 6 chordoma and 14 chondrosarcoma. Much discussion about benign notochordal cell tissue in vertebrae has centered on the nature of its relationship, if any, to chordoma. The identification of h3f3a mutation in giant cell tumour. How to be productive at home from a remote work veteran. Ecchordosis physaliphora found incidentally in a 50 year old female posttrauma patient. The lower clivus is the area below the ninth, tenth, and eleventh nerves and includes the jugular tubercle, occipital condyles, the foramen magnum, and the hypoglossal canals. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of chordoma is available below symptoms of chordoma. The chondroid variety represents 14% of all chordomas mainly.
There is a t1hypointense, t2stirhyperintense, enhancing mass which restricts diffuse at the skull base. It most often forms where the skull sits atop the spine skull base or at the bottom of the spine sacrum. A chordoma is a rare tumor that develops from cells of the notochord, a structure that is present in the developing embryo and is important for the development of the spine. Giant cell tumour of bone gct is a locally aggressive primary bone tumour that usually occurs at the epiphyses of the long bones of the appendicular skeleton with a tendency to recurrence. Chordomas are rare neoplasms arising from notochordal remnants found predominantly in the clivus and the sacrococcygeal regions. Chordoma is the most common primary malignant sacral tumor 9,10. The mid clivus extends from the trigeminal nerve down to the exit foramina pars nervosa of the jugular foramen. Chordomas are rare tumors that arise from embryonic notochordal remnants along the length of the neuraxis at developmentally active sites.
The clivus is a portion of bone located at the base of the skull. Chordoma is a rare slowgrowing neoplasm thought to arise from cellular remnants of the notochord. Chordoma ofthe clivus may cause paresis of nearly allof the cranial nerves and thus challenge the diagnostic acumen of theclinician. They arise from embryological remnants of the notochord at the clivus, mobile spine, and. Both show overexpression of extracellular matrix genes compared to other sarcoma types. Hmwmaa expressed in chordoma 62%, chondrosarcoma 48%. Webmd explains what causes this cancer, and why it can be tricky to treat. It is a tumor with lobules and vacuolated, moderately atypical, neoplastic cells. More complete resection of chordomas with endoscopic techniques at the skull base institute, a plethora of transnasal, transoral and transfacial approaches have provided a vast experience in the treatment of chordomas. Chordoma, a rare bone tumor that occurs along the spine, has led scientists on a fascinating journey of.
Chordoma is a rare cancer that affects bones in the spine and skull. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a small tumor at the clivus. At ct, intracranial chordoma typically appears as a centrally located, well circumscribed, expansile softtissue mass that arises from the clivus with associated. Stacchiotti s, marrari a, tamborini e, palassini e, virdis e, messina a. The clival chordoma and chondrosarcoma are the most common of these tumors. Extended endoscopic endonasal surgery for clival chordoma. Clival tumors symptoms, diagnostic, skull base surgery and treatment at at columbias skull base tumor center. Nov 10, 2016 stacchiotti s, marrari a, tamborini e, palassini e, virdis e, messina a. Metastasis may be seen in a rate of 540% of the chordomas. Most clivus chordomas show extradural extension and bone destruction. Combined therapy for distant metastasis of sacral chordoma.
Anatomy and clinical importance of the extracranial clivus and surrounding structuresanatomia e importancia clinica del clivus extracraneal y las estructuras circundantes. Anatomy and clinical importance of the extracranial clivus and surrounding structuresanatomia e importancia clinica del clivus extracraneal y las. Chordomas grow slowly, gradually extending into the bone and soft tissue around them. Chordoma definition of chordoma by the free dictionary. The evidence for this is the location of the tumors along the neuraxis, the similar immunohistochemical staining patterns, and the demonstration that notochordal cells are preferentially left behind in the clivus and sacrococcygeal regions when the remainder of the notochord regresses during. The clival region is the second most common location, accounting for 3035% of cases 2,3. The chordoma foundation works to accelerate the development of new treatments for chordoma, while helping chordoma patients get the best care possible. Eighteen months later, he sought treatment for a right 6th nerve palsy. Looking for online definition of chordoma or what chordoma stands for.
Advance chordoma research by donating tumor tissue to the chordoma foundation biobank. If you would like more information about the chordoma foundation and the services we provide, you may complete the form below, call us at 919 8096779, or send mail to po box 2127, durham, nc 27702. To report our experience in the management of chordoma and chondrosarcoma with extended endoscopic endonasal surgery. Yang c, schwab jh, schoenfeld aj, hornicek fj, wood kb, nielsen gp. Recurrent somatic h3f3a mutations have been described in 92% of gct cases. Anatomy and clinical importance of the extracranial clivus and surrounding structuresanatomia e importancia clinica del clivus extracraneal y las estructuras circundantes 1. It accounts for 14 % of all primary skeletal tumors, and its incidence rate is inferior to 1. Sections show a lobulated tumor with cells arranged in cords and sheets, present in a predominantly myxoid and focally sclerotic stroma. Under his leadership, the foundation has united and expanded the chordoma research community and vastly accelerated the pace of chordoma research. Large notochordal rest only evidence of destructive growth can identify a chordoma. Chordoma selective expression of t brachyury and cd24. A chordoma is a rare type of cancerous tumor that can occur anywhere along the spine, from the base of the skull to the tailbone. Chordoma is a rare type of bone cancer that happens most often in the bones of the spine or the skull.