Open AccessMultifocal thoracic chordoma mimicking a paraganglioma
Author(s) -
Giovanni Conzo,
Claudio Gambardella,
Daniela Pasquali,
Giuseppe Ciancia,
Nicola Avenia,
Cristina Della Pietra,
Salvatore Napolitano,
Antonietta Palazzo,
Claudio Mauriello,
Domenico Parmeggiani,
Guido Pettinato,
Vincenzo Napolitano,
Luigi Santini
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of cancer research and therapeutics/journal of cancer research and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 0973-1482
pISSN - 1998-4138
DOI - 10.4103/0973-1482.119312
Subject(s) - medicine , chordoma , malignancy , paraganglioma , differential diagnosis , radiology , asymptomatic , neoplasm , surgery , pathology
Chordoma of thoracic vertebras is a very rare locally invasive neoplasm with low grade malignancy arising from embryonic notochordal remnants. Radical surgery remains the cornerstone of the treatment. We describe a case of multifocal T1-T2 chordoma, without bone and disc involvement, incidentally misdiagnosed as a paraganglioma, occurring in a 47-year-old male asymptomatic patient. Neoplasm was radically removed by an endocrine surgeon through a right extended cervicotomy. A preoperative reliable diagnosis of chordoma, as in the reported case, is often difficult. Radical surgery can provide a favorable outcome but, given the high rates of local recurrence of this neoplasm, a strict and careful follow-up is recommended. Although very rare, chordoma should be suggested in the differential diagnosis of the paravertebral cervical masses of unknown origin. Spine surgeon consultation and a FNB should be routinely included in the multidisciplinary preoperative work-up of these neoplasms.