ONE UNCOMMON CASE OF CHONDROID CHORDOMA O F THE CERVICAL-SPINE

Chordoma is a rare tumor in spine. Authors report the case of a 49 yea rs old woman suffing from C5 left neuralgia. Plain films showed an enl argement of C4-C5 left foramina. CT scan permitted to see a lobulated tumor with low density just a few enhancement into septa. MRI showed t he tumor with low signal on T1wi, high signal on T2wi and slight enhan cement after Gadolinium administration. The extension in the vertebral body is very limited. Differential diagnosis are chondroma or chondro sarcoma and epidermoid cyst. Histology with evidence of a chondroid ma trix explain the CT and MR appearance. In this localisation, there is no case reported in the litterature. This is an outstanding case becau se its extra-osseous localization with a lack of contrast enhancement after injection and its unusual histologic pattern.