Chordoma and chondrosarcoma: relationship to the internal carotid artery

In 6 patients with chordoma and 1 patient with a chondrosarcoma in the petroclival region, the internal carotid artery (ICA) showed a rather interesting relationship. The striking finding was the marked anterior (ventral) displacement of the adjacent segments of the ICA by the tumour. Complete encasement of the artery was not seen despite the massive size of the tumour. Narrowing of the caliber of ICA was seen in 1 case. The displacement of the ICA pointed toward the origin of the tumour and the pattern of its spread suggested pre-operatively the pathological diagnosis. Pre-operative recognition of the carotid artery neoplasm relation helped to better protect the ICA during surgery on these formidable lesions.