Clinical and imaging features of cervical chordoma

• Published in: American journal of roentgenology (1976) Vol. 172; no. 5; pp. 1423 - 1426
• Main Authors: Wippold, FJ, 2nd, Koeller, KK, Smirniotopoulos, JG
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leesburg, VA Am Roentgen Ray Soc 01.05.1999; American Roentgen Ray Society
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cervical Vertebrae; Chordoma - diagnosis; Chordoma - diagnostic imaging; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Osteoarticular system. Muscles; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Retrospective Studies; Spinal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Spinal Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Tumors of striated muscle and skeleton; Human; Compression; Radiodiagnosis; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Radiologic investigation; Paresthesia; Spine disease; Malignant tumor; Cervical spinal cord; Chordoma; Symptomatology; Pain; Medical imagery; Complication; Computerized axial tomography; Bone; Cervical spine
• DOI: 10.2214/ajr.172.5.10227531
• ISSN: 0361-803X

We attempted to define the clinical and imaging features of cervical spine chordoma. In this series of 10 patients, cervical spine chordomas tended to be large, multilevel destructive lesions of the midcervical region that caused pain and weakness in the neck and shoulder. Typically, these tumors primarily involved the vertebral body and extended into soft tissues of the perivertebral and epidural spaces. Surprisingly, almost a third of the tumors appeared on radiographs to predominantly occupy either the epidural or the intradural space, and nearly half resembled schwannomas. Although no imaging features were pathognomonic, CT and MR imaging were valuable in identifying the tumor, revealing its extent, and defining its relationship to the intraspinal structures.