Chordoma is generally thought to be a locally invasive tumour of low m
etastatic potential. Review of the literature suggests that metastatic
spread from chordoma is not an uncommon occurrence, but that the meta
stases are usually clinically silent. We present an unusual case where
a metastasis from a sacrococcygeal chordoma produced a syndrome of lu
mbar root compression after resection of the primary lesion.