Ear Nose Throat J. 2011 January;90(1):16-18.
FIRST PARAGRAPH: Chordomas are low- to intermediate-grade malignant tumors that recapitulate the notochord. They are divided into three broad categories: sacrococcygeal (60% of cases), spheno-occipital (25%), and vertebral (15%). About 10% of all tumors are cervical. Vertebral or neck chordomas typically develop in the fifth and sixth decades of life; they have no predilection for either sex. Nerve impingement, progressive pain, and headaches are common. When a chordoma arises within the parapharyngeal space, the mass may be detected clinically. Radiographically, chordomas are usually solitary, lytic lesions; they are associated with matrix calcification in as many as 70% of cases.
PubMed ID: 21229504
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