title: Chordoma: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chordomas are tumors of notochordal origin that account for approximately 1%-4% of all primary malignant bone tumors. The majority of patients with chordomas have a poor surgical prognosis due to extent of disease at diagnosis. These lesions have been previously classified based solely on their location.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe here a case report of a posterior epidural C5-T1 chordoma that was discovered in a young patient who presented with weakness and paresthesia in all four extremities. This lesion was notable for its extraosseous and extradural characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  C5-T1 laminectomy with gross total resection of the mass led to complete resolution of all symptoms. There has been no evidence of tumor recurrence to date.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose here a new classification system for chordomas that emphasizes the difference in resectability of these lesions depending on the space they occupy and the presence or absence of an osseous connection.
authors.affiliation: Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19146, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jallo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bierbrauer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farber
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D002817:Chordoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology