Cytologic and histopathologic findings of chordoma of the cervical vertebra and of the clivus-case report

Abstract

In this report, the cytologic and histopathologic findings of chordoma of the cervical vertebra in a 44-year-old woman, and of the clivus in a 16-year-old boy, are described. The most common cytological findings were abundant mucous background, a sheet-like arrangement, and the presence of physaliferous, intermediate and stellate cells. Comparative studies between these two chordoma cases and chondrosarcoma, myxoid type, revealed the importance of discriminating the findings of epithelial-like attachment. Electron microscopy revealed abundant glycogen granules, rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondorial complexes in the cytoplasm around nuclei.