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Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Author Spotlight: Genetically Engineered Mouse Models and Pathological Characterization of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Associated Tumors
Published on: May 17, 2024
Notochordal Tumors
Roberto Tirabosco1, Paul O'Donnell2, Adrienne M Flanagan3
1Department of Histopathology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4LP, UK.
Abstract:
This review provides an overview of the spectrum of tumors showing notochordal differentiation. This spectrum encompasses benign entities that are mostly discovered incidentally on imaging, reported as benign notochordal cell tumor, usually not requiring surgical intervention; slowly growing and histologically low-grade tumors referred to as conventional chordoma but associated with a significant metastatic potential and mortality; and more aggressive disease represented by histologically higher-grade tumors including dedifferentiated chordoma, a high-grade biphasic tumor characterized by a conventional chordoma juxtaposed to a high-grade sarcoma, usually with a spindle or pleomorphic cell morphology, and associated with a poor prognosis and poorly differentiated chordoma.
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