[Difficulty in treating spinal chordoma of the thoracic vertebrae].
We report a case of iterative surgery of a spinal chordoma of the 10(th) thoracic vertebra. This kind of neoplasm constitutes 3 to 7% of primary malignant bone tumors. Approximately 50% originate in the sacrum, 35% at the base of the skull and 15% in the true vertebrae. The slow growth delays diagnosis and compromises effective surgical therapy. On the basis of a review of the literature, we advocate an aggressive surgical resection from the beginning, similar to management of solitary vertebral metastasis.
Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique, Hôpital Jean-Bernard, Poitiers. j.soyer@chu-poitiers.fr
J
J
Soyer
T
T
Le Carrou
M
M
Wager
F
F
Lapierre
D002817:Chordoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae