Sacrococcygeal chordoma-illustrative cases and our experience

Chordoma is an uncommon malignant bone tumour of low metastatic potential, the commonest site of which being sacrum. We intend to report two cases of giant sacrococcygeal chordoma managed surgically. The first patient presented with natal cleft swelling since past 3 years which on examination had a size of 12*10*14 and was mildly tender, non reducible, non pulsatile and non fluctuant. The swelling had a variegated surface and extended from sacral region till 2 cm above anal verge. The second patient presented with low backache with radiation to the left lower limbs along with numbness in posterior aspect of left thigh. Physical examination in the second patient was near similar to that in first case except the decreased perianal sensation with otherwise normal neurology in the second patient. The imaging and histopathology was consistent with sacroccocygeal chordoma in both cases. Both patients underwent wide margin resection with preservation of both S2 and right S3 roots. Effective management of sacrococcygeal chordoma requires early diagnosis, accurate preoperative staging, definitive and adequate surgical resection with proved tumour-free cut margins while in those declining surgery, radiotherapy can be considered as an alternative.