Clinical and histopathological characteristics and differential diagnosis of chordomas

Abstract

Purpose: Chordomas are rare malignant bone tumours occuring in the midline of axial skeleton. We aimed to assess these tumors which has been diagnosed in our center in terms of clinical and pathologic characteristics, and differantial diagnosis difficulties.

Material and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated cinical and histopathologic characteristics of 10 chordoma patients diagnosed at pathology department of Baskent University Adana Teaching and Resarch Hospital between 2009 and 2014.

Results: The patients were consisted of men (n= 9) and women (n= 1) with the age of 61.3 (38-84) years old. The localization of chordomas were the sacrococcygeal region at eight patients (80%), lumbar vertebrae at one patient ( 10%) and clivus at one patient (10%). The mean diameter was 4.68 (2.5-7.5) cm. Histopathologically, majority of cases were "conventional chordoma" while one of them was "chondroid chordoma". Surgical excision was performed for all patients, only one case has recieved radiotherapy, and chemotherapy was given after surgery for one patient. Local recurrence was detected in three patients and distant metastasis (lung) was found in a patient and he died in a short time.

Conclusion: Because that chordomas are rare clinical bone tumours which can be treated efficiently by appropriate surgical excision, clinical and histopathological characteristics and differential diagnosis should be well known.