Extraosseous Chordoma of the Nasopharynx in Paediatric Age

Abstract Intracranial chordomas are relatively rare locally aggressive tumours that probably originate from embryonic remnants of the notochord. They typically arise from the sacrum and secondly in the skull base/clivus region. When skull base chordomas occur at an extraosseous location (without lytic bone destruction), they may mimic other lesions of the nasopharynx. We present a case of primarily extraosseous chordoma in paediatric age, involving the nasopharynx, to improve preoperative diagnosis and postoperative management of this rare tumour.