title: [Benign notochordal cell tumor of cervical vertebrae: a clinicopathologic analysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report 2 rare cases of benign notochordal cell tumor (BNCT), according to WHO classification of tumors of soft tissue and bone (4th edition). Their radiologic and clincopathologic features and differential diagnosis were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two cases of BNCT were studied by retrospective review of the clinical, radiologic, pathologic and immunophenotypical findings. Related literatures were reviewed at the same time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Case 1 was a 53-year-old man, and case 2 was a 61-year-old woman. Radiographically, both patients presented with abnormal imaging findings in the fifth cervical vertebral body with the lesions located within the bone but without extra osseous mass. Histopathologically, the lesions lacked lobular architecture and extracellular myxoid matrix. The tumor cells were vacuolated and had centrally or peripherally placed round or oval nuclei with small nucleoli, mimicking mature adipocytes. No cytological atypia or mitotic figures were seen. The affected bone trabeculae were sclerotic and islands of bone marrow were often entrapped within the tumor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although sharing similar anatomic distribution and immunophenotype to those of chordoma, BNCT has distinct radiologic and pathologic features and different treatment and prognosis. The differential diagnosis between BNCT and chordoma requires detailed clinical, radiologic and histopathologic evaluations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sixth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sixth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China.
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sixth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sixth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China. E-mail: liuyuanbinglizhang@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Huizhen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002817:Chordoma / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009672:Notochord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*