Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Infantile clivus chordoma without clivus involvement: case report and review of the literature

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Child's Nervous System Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

We present a giant clival chordoma with disseminated disease but without involvement of the clivus. To our knowledge, this is the youngest child and only the second case, presenting without base of skull involvement, in paediatric literature and the fourth reported case of a chordoma in a patient with tuberous sclerosis.

Discussion

We discuss the subtle presentation, difficulties in diagnosis and management and also review the literature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Amendola BE, Amendola MA, Oliver E, McClatchey KD (1986) Chordoma: role of radiation therapy. Radiology 158(3):839–843

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Arnautovic KI, Al-Mefty O (2001) Surgical seeding of chordomas. J Neurosurg 95(5):798–803

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Azzarelli A, Quagliuolo V, Cerasoli S, Zucali R, Bignami P, Mazzaferro V, Dossena G, Gennari L (1988) Chordoma: natural history and treatment results in 33 cases. J Surg Oncol 37(3):185–191

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Barnes L, Kapadia SB (1994) The biology and pathology of selected skull base tumours. J Neurooncol 20(3):213–240

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Borba LA, Al Mefty O, Mrak E, Suen J (1996) Cranial chordomas in children and adolescents. J Neurosurg 84(4):584–591

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Borgel J, Olschewski H, Reuter T, Miterski B, Epplen JT (2001) Does the tuberous sclerosis complex include clivus chordoma? A case report. Eur J Pediatr 160(2):138

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Brooks LJ, Afshani E, Hidalgo C, Fisher J (1981) Clivus chordoma with pulmonary metastases appearing as failure to thrive. Am J Dis Child 135(8):713–715

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bruce DA (1995) Clival chordoma in early childhood (letter to the editor). Childs Nerv Syst (11):437

  9. Chambers PW, Schwinn CP (1979) Chordoma: a clinicopathologic study of metastasis. Am J Clin Pathol 72(5):765–776

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Coffin CM, Swanson PE, Wick MR, Dehner LP (1993) Chordoma in childhood and adolescence: a clinicopathologic analysis of 12 cases. Arch Pathol Lab Med 117(9):927–933

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Crockard A, Macaulay E, Plowman PN (1999) Stereotactic radiosurgery. VI. Posterior displacement of the brainstem facilitates safer high dose radiosurgery for clival chordoma. Br J Neurosurg 13(1):65–70

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Crockard HA, Steel T, Plowman N, Singh A, Crossman J, Revesz T et al (2001) A multidisciplinary team approach to skull base chordomas. J Neurosurg 95(2):175–183

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Cummings BJ, Esses S, Harwood AR (1982) The treatment of chordomas. Cancer Treat Rev 9(4):299–311

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Cummings BJ, Hodson DI, Bush RS (1983) Chordoma: the results of megavoltage radiation therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 9(5):633–642

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Dutton RV, Singleton EB (1975) Tuberous sclerosis: a case report with aortic aneurysm and unusual rib changes. Pediatr Radiol 3(3):184–186

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Fuller DB, Bloom JG (1988) Radiotherapy for chordoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 15(2):331–339

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Goel A, Nadkarni TD, Kirtane MV (1996) Clival chordoma in an infant. Postgrad Med 42(2):51–53

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Handa J, Suzuki F, Nioka H, Koyama T (1987) Clivus chordoma in childhood. Surg Neurol 28(1):58–62

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hug EB, Loredo LN, Slater JD, DeVries A, Grove RI, Schaefer RA et al (1999) Proton radiation therapy for chordomas and chondrosarcomas of the skull base. J Neurosurg 91(3):432–439

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Hug EB, Sweeney RA, Nurre PM, Holloway KC, Slater JD, Munzenrider JE (2002) Proton radiotherapy in management of pediatric base of skull tumors. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 52(4):1017–1024

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Jacob HE (1994) Chemotherapy for cranial base tumors. J Neurooncol 20(3):327–335

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Keisch ME, Garcia DM, Shibuya RB (1991) Retrospective long-term follow-up analysis in 21 patients with chordomas of various sites treated at a single institution. J Neurosurg 75(3):374–377

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kendall BE (1977) Cranial chordomas. Br J Radiol 50(598):687–698

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kennedy JD, Haines SJ (1994) Review of skull base surgery approaches: with special reference to pediatric patients. J Neurooncol 20(3):291–312

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Lybeert ML, Meerwaldt JH (1986) Chordoma. Report on treatment results in eighteen cases. Acta Radiol Oncol 25(1):41–43

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Matsumoto J, Towbin RB, Ball WS Jr (1989) Cranial chordomas in infancy and childhood. A report of two cases and review of the literature. Pediatr Radiol 20(1–2):28–32

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Meyers SP, Hirsch WL Jr, Curtin HD, Barnes L, Sekhar LN, Sen C (1992) Chordomas of the skull base: MR features. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 13(6):1627–1636

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Meyer JE, Oot RF, Lindfors KK (1986) CT appearance of clival chordomas. J Comput Assist Tomogr 10(1):34–38

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Naka T, Boltze C, Samii A, Herold C, Ostertag H, Iwamoto Y et al (2003) Skull base and nonskull base chordomas: clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study with special reference to nuclear pleomorphism and proliferative ability. Cancer 98(9):1934–1941

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Niida H, Tanaka R, Tamura T, Takeuchi S (1994) Clival chordoma in early childhood without bone involvement. Childs Nerv Syst 10(8):533–535

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Nolte K (1979) Malignant intracranial chordoma and sarcoma of the clivus in infancy. Pediatr Radiol 8(1):1–6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. O’Neill P, Bell BA, Miller JD, Jacobson I, Guthrie W (1985) Fifty years of experience with chordomas in southeast Scotland. Neurosurgery 16(2):166–170

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Rich TA, Schiller A, Suit HD, Mankin HJ (1985) Clinical and pathologic review of 48 cases of chordoma. Cancer 56(1):182–187

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Schroeder BA, Wells RG, Starshak RJ, Sty JR (1987) Clivus chordoma in a child with tuberous sclerosis: CT and MR demonstration. J Comput Assist Tomogr 11(1):195–196

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Scimeca PG, James-Herry AG, Black KS, Kahn E, Weinblatt ME (1996) Chemotherapeutic treatment of malignant chordoma in children. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 18(2):237–240

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Sen CN, Sekhar LN, Schramm VL, Janecka IP (1989) Chordoma and chondrosarcoma of the cranial base: an 8-year experience. Neurosurgery 25(6):931–940

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Wold LE, Laws ER Jr (1983) Cranial chordomas in children and young adults. J Neurosurg 59(6):1043–1047

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Wright D (1967) Nasopharyngeal and cervical chordoma—some aspects of their development and treatment. J Laryngol Otol 81(12):1337–1355

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Yuhi F, Asakura T, Tomosugi T, Kusumoto K, Awa H, Uetsuhara K (1986) A case of clival chordoma without bone destruction. No Shinkei Geka 14(4):547–552

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors wish to thank Dr. Rachael Brown for her kind assistance in providing photographs of representative histological slides.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6NH, UK

    D. Kombogiorgas, E. J. St. George, S. Chapman & G. A. Solanki

  2. Department of Oncology, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6NH, UK

    M. English

Authors
  1. D. Kombogiorgas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. J. St. George
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Chapman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. English
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G. A. Solanki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. A. Solanki.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kombogiorgas, D., St. George, E.J., Chapman, S. et al. Infantile clivus chordoma without clivus involvement: case report and review of the literature. Childs Nerv Syst 22, 1369–1374 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-006-0069-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-006-0069-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation