title: Pediatric cervical chordoma: report of two cases and a review of the current literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The majority of chordomas occur between the fifth and seventh decades of life and are thus extremely rare in children, which account for less than 5% of all spinal chordoma cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report on the development of this rare condition in two boys aged 7 and 10 years. One patient presented with a palpable neck mass and dysphagia, while the other presented with posterior neck pain. Radiological studies revealed an extensive mass in the cervical vertebrae and paravertebral soft tissue of both patients. The tumors were subtotally removed in an attempt to improve the success of adjuvant proton beam radiotherapy. Pathological examination, which included immunohistochemical staining, revealed chordoma of the cervical spine in both patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although en bloc resection is the ideal modality for treatment of chordoma, such a procedure is often associated with a significant risk of surgical morbidity due to the tumor location. Therefore, piecemeal resection followed by postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy, including proton radiotherapy or radiosurgery, should be considered in such cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Spine and Spinal Cord Institute, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Gwi Hyun
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Moon-Sool
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Do Heum
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Hyun Chyul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Keung Nyun
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Dong Yeop
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Poong Gi
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Yoon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ha
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D002648:Child; D002817:Chordoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D061766:Proton Therapy; D011859:Radiography; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons