[A case of suprasellar intradural chordoma]

An extraosseous and intradural chordoma of the suprasellar region is described in a 54-year-old male who presented himself with left homonymous hemianopia. Computed tomography showed an isodensity tumor containing a cyst in the suprasellar region. Magnetic resonance images demonstrated the tumor as an isointense mass with heterogeneous enhancement after intravenous administration of a contrast agent, and as a high signal intensity mass on T2-weighted images. The associated cyst was also clearly demonstrated. The tumor was diagnosed preoperatively as a craniopharyngioma and was resected using the frontobasal interhemispheric approach. However, the resected tumor had the typical histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of chordoma. Only ten cases of totally extraosseous and intradural chordoma have been reported. The histogenetic background of this tumor is also discussed in this paper.