Cervical Paraspinal Chordoma: A Literature Review with a Novel Case Report

Chordomas are rare malignant neoplasms, accounting for 1-4% of all primary bone tumors. Most spinal chordomas occur in the sacrococcygeal region and the base of the skull; however, 6% of chordomas are observed in the cervical spine. In these cases, the lesion is mainly located in the midline. These tumors slowly grow before becoming symptomatic and encase the surrounding vascular and nerve structures. Patients with advanced chordoma have a poor prognosis due to local recurrence with infiltration and destruction of adjacent bone and tissues. Systemic chemotherapy options have not been fully effective in these tumors, especially for recurrent chordomas. Thus, new combinations of currently available targeted molecular and biological therapies with radiotherapy have been proposed as potential treatment modalities. Here, the present paper describes the case of a 41-year-old male with a C2-C4 chordoma located paravertebrally, who underwent surgical resection with a debulking procedure for a cervical chordoma. Computed tomography angiography revealed a paraspinal mass with bone remodeling and the MRI showed a paravertebral mass penetrating to the spinal canal with a widening of the intervertebral C2-C3 foramen. Initially, the tumor was diagnosed as schwannoma based on its localization and imaging features; however, the histopathology specimen confirmed the diagnosis of chordoma. This case study highlights the effectivity of radical surgical resection as a mainstay treatment for chordomas, discusses neuroimaging, diagnosis, and the use of currently available targeted therapies and forthcoming treatment strategies, as alternative treatment options for chordoma.