Chordoma arising from cranial base extending to oropharynx: an unusual presentation

Chordoma is a relatively rare tumor of the skull base thought to originate from embryonic remnants of the notochord. Chordomas arising from the skull base/clivus are typically locally aggressive with lytic bone destruction. When chordomas occur in an extraosseous location, they may mimic other lesions of the nasopharynx and oropharynx. We present a case of primarily extraosseous chordoma involving the oropharynx in an effort to improve the preoperative diagnosis of this rare tumor among the dental fraternity. In addition, we review regional notochordal embryology to explain this variant tumor location.