Treatment of Chordoma by Transsphenoidal Approach: 2 Cases

Kim, Soo Whan; Kim, Hyun Soo; Lee, Seok Eun; Cho, Jin Hee

Case Report

Journal of Rhinology 2004;11(Suppl DB Error: syntax error):83-87.
Published online November 30, 2004.

Treatment of Chordoma by Transsphenoidal Approach: 2 Cases

Soo Whan Kim, Hyun Soo Kim, Seok Eun Lee, Jin Hee Cho

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. entcho@cmc.cuk.ac.kr

Abstract

Chordomas are benign tumors that are thought to originate from remnants of notochord. They develop in the sacrococcygeal region but rarely form in the sellar region. Clival chordomas are benign tumors but because of their critical location, local invasion, recurrence, and occasional metastatic spread and their prognosis is similar to that of malignant tumors. The conventional transcranial approach is a treatment with high surgical morbidity. But transsphenoidal approach is a less invasive method with reduced surgical morbidity and complications. We report two cases of chordoma arising from the clivus treated by a transsphenoidal approach.

Key Words: Chordoma;Transsphenoidal approach