Ultrastructure of chordoma. A case report

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Chordomas are rare bone tumors arising from notochordal remnants.
• Sacro-coccygeal chordomas represent a significant subset of these tumors.
• Understanding their cellular origins and ultrastructural features is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Observation:

• A 50-year-old male presented with back pain, thigh numbness, and voiding/defecation difficulties due to a sacro-coccygeal mass.
• Surgical excision of the tumor led to complete symptom resolution.
• Light microscopy confirmed the diagnosis of chordoma.

Findings:

• Ultrastructural examination focused on physaliferous cells, revealing prominent associations between mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum.
• Mitochondria exhibited size and shape irregularities.
• Vacuoles within physaliferous cells, both intracellular and extracellular, contained granular material consistent with acid mucopolysaccharides (chondroitin type).
• The presence of subplasmalemmal linear densities (SLD) and pinocytic vesicles supported a mesodermal origin.

Implications:

• These ultrastructural findings provide detailed insights into the cellular biology of chordomas.
• The confirmation of mesodermal origin through ultrastructural markers aids in understanding tumor histogenesis.
• Complete surgical excision appears effective in managing symptomatic sacro-coccygeal chordomas.