Surgical seeding of chordomas.

OBJECT Chordomas have a high propensity for local recurrence and progression, as well as for systemic and cerebrospinal fluid metastasis. The authors identified and analyzed a series of patients with chordomas, focusing on an underrecognized entity--surgical seeding. METHODS In a retrospective analysis of 82 patients with chordomas treated over a 10-year period (1990-2000) the authors found six patients (7.3%) in whom surgical seeding had occurred. In five (83%) of these patients the primary tumor was located at the clivus. In one (17%) the tumor was present in the cervical region. There were two male (33%) and four female patients (67%) with a mean age of 34 years. The seeding sites, which were separate from the primary tumor, were located along the operative route or in the abdomen where fat was removed. The seeding was diagnosed 5 to 15 months after surgery (mean 12 months). One seeding site was present in five patients and 17 seeding sites were present in one patient. The involved tissues included mucosa, bone, dura, muscle, and fat. After resection, all seedings were documented histologically. CONCLUSIONS Seeding of chordomas occurs along the operative route and at distant locations where fat is harvested. Early diagnosis and aggressive surgical treatment are recommended. Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that surgical techniques, postoperative irradiation, the neuroradiological follow-up protocol, and even research on chordomas should be reevaluated.