Jallo J, Nathan D, Bierbrauer K, Farber E
Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19146, USA.
Surg Neurol. 1997 Jul;48(1):46-8. doi: 10.1016/s0090-3019(96)00430-2.
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.
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.
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.
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.
