• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.52-56
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• 1999

Chordomas are rare tumors arising from the primitive notochord. The commonest affected segment is the sacrum and these chordomas frequently follow a progressive course with multiple recurrences and metastases and eventual death due to tumor. This report describes two cases of sacrococcygeal chordomas with widespread metastases treated by surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.369-375
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• 1999

Chordoma is a slow-growing malignant neoplasm arising from the remnants of the primitive notochord. It accounts for 1 to 4% of all malignant bone tumors. It occurs exclusively along the spinal axis. Authors experienced four cases of chordoma occurred in the sacrococcygeal region. There were two male and two female patients, with a mean age of 63.5 years(range, 57~75 years). Tissue was obtained by wide excision in two patients, by incisional biopsy in one patient and by needle biopsy in the other. Adjuvant radiation therapy was performed on all the patients after their biopsy. The mean diameter of the tumors was 7.6cm(range, 5.5 to 13.0cm). Grossly, tumor was multiobulated, soft and myxoid gelatinous mass. Microscopically, the tumor showed lobulated feature divided by fibrous septa within it. There were physaliphorous cells with vacuolated bubbly cytoplasm. And small uniform, round, and non-vacuolated tumor cells were also present. On immunohistochemical stain, all the cases were immunoreactive for cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen(EMA) and vimentin, respectively. One of the 4 cases was positive for S-100 protein. All the cases were negative for CEA.