[Diagnosis and treatment of chordoma in the jugular foramen area:three cases report].
OBJECTIVE
To discuss the early diagnosis and the treatment of chordoma in the jugular foramen area.


METHODS
Three cases of chordoma in the jugular foramen area were diagnosis and reviewed retrospectively. The initial symptom was facial paralysis. Surgical removal was performed through the infratemporal fossa approach in 1 case, through petro-occipital approach in 2 cases. For repairing facial nerve defect, great auricular nerve was used in 1 case and facial-hypoglossal anastomosis was used in another 2 cases.


RESULTS
The tumor were totally removed in all 3 cases. The patients were follow-up for 6 months to 1 year and no recurrence was found. The function of facial nerve was II grade (House-Brackmann) in one patient and IV grade in another 2 patients. No complications occurred in 3 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Although chordoma originating from the jugular foramen area were extremely rare, it was possible to make early diagnosis through finding clinical feature and imaging methods. The final diagnosis depended on pathology. Generally, the different surgical approaches were used according to the size and position of the tumor. The classic infratemporal fossa approach for tumor removal and facial nerve reconstruction should be considered in the patients with chordoma around jugular foramen.
Huang
Qi
Q
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Wu
Hao
H
Wang
Zhao-Yan
ZY
Yang
Jun
J
Chen
Li
L
Jia
Huan
H
D000328:Adult; D002817:Chordoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005924:Glomus Jugulare / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult