Chordomas: Chordoma, a low-grade malignant tumor arising from remnants of the notochord, accounts for up to 4% of primary bone sarcomas. Chordoma most commonly occurs in the sixth to seventh decades of life and is very rare under the age of 30 years. Chordomas are almost exclusively located in the axial spine, with the sacrococcygeal region being the most common site (35-50% of all chordomas), followed by the spheno-occipital area, cervical spine, and thoracolumbar spine. Sacral chordoma is a slowly growing, locally destructive neoplasm, which tends to expand into soft tissue and into the rectum, occasionally with a palpable mass on rectal examination. Chordomas arising in the base of the skull may grow intracranially, invading the sella turcica, petrous, and sphenoid bones.
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