Surgical management of a case of C2 vertebral chordoma via staged anterior and posterior approach

Atlantoaxial chordomas being quite uncommon pose a significant therapeutic challenge to the surgeon due to their critical location and often late presentation. Recurrences are common after intralesional excision. Although en bloc excision is the preferred treatment, it may not be feasible due to anatomical constraints in this location. Hence, multimodality treatment in the form of surgery (maximal tumor excision) followed by targeted chemotherapy and radiotherapy is considered to be the next best treatment option. We present the case of a young male patient with C2 chordoma treated at our institution by multimodality approach, and follow-up for 21 months after surgery.