OBJECTIVE. We attempted to define the clinical and imaging features of cerv
ical spine chordoma.
CONCLUSION. In this series of 10 patients, cervical spine chordomas tended
to be large, multilevel destructive lesions of the midcervical region that
caused pain and weakness in the neck and shoulder. Typically, these tumors
primarily involved the vertebral body and extended into soft tissues of the
perivertebral and epidural spaces. Surprisingly, almost a third of the tum
ors appeared on radiographs to predominantly occupy either the epidural or
the intradural space, and nearly half resembled schwannomas. Although no im
aging features were pathognomonic, CT and MR imaging were valuable in ident
ifying the tumor, revealing its extent, and defining its relationship to th
e intraspinal structures.