Chordoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND

Chordomas are tumors of notochordal origin that account for approximately 1%-4% of all primary malignant bone tumors. The majority of patients with chordomas have a poor surgical prognosis due to extent of disease at diagnosis. These lesions have been previously classified based solely on their location.

METHODS

We describe here a case report of a posterior epidural C5-T1 chordoma that was discovered in a young patient who presented with weakness and paresthesia in all four extremities. This lesion was notable for its extraosseous and extradural characteristics.

RESULTS

C5-T1 laminectomy with gross total resection of the mass led to complete resolution of all symptoms. There has been no evidence of tumor recurrence to date.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose here a new classification system for chordomas that emphasizes the difference in resectability of these lesions depending on the space they occupy and the presence or absence of an osseous connection.