BACKGROUND: Chondroid chordoma is a rare variant of chordoma and is usually located in the sphenooccipital region. This tumor shows clinical and histologic features common to both conventional chordoma and low grade chondrosarcoma and has a better prognosis than either of those lesions. To our knowledge, there has been no English language report describing its cytologic features. CASE: The cytologic features of skull base chondroid chordoma observed in intraoperative crush and touch preparations from a 33-year-old female are reported. Touch cytology revealed round or stellate cells distributed in a mucoid background without a typical epithelial cordlike arrangement. The cells had variably vacuolated cytoplasm and round or oval nuclei and showed slight cellular pleomorphism. May-Giemsa staining was superior to Papanicolaou staining in demonstrating the mucoid matrix and vacuolated cytoplasm of the tumor cells. Additionally, crush preparations were effective in demonstrating well-differentiated chondroid elements. Immunocytochemistry with positivity for S-100 protein and cytokeratins was an essential adjunct in the cytologic diagnosis of chordoma and helped in distinguishing it from other chondrogenic tumors. CONCLUSION: It is possible and advantageous to diagnose chondroid chordoma with a combination of cytologic and immunocytochemical studies of intraoperative crush and touch preparations in conjunction with clinical and radiographic information.
BACKGROUND:Chondroid chordoma is a rare variant of chordoma and is usually located in the sphenooccipital region. This tumor shows clinical and histologic features common to both conventional chordoma and low grade chondrosarcoma and has a better prognosis than either of those lesions. To our knowledge, there has been no English language report describing its cytologic features. CASE: The cytologic features of skull base chondroid chordoma observed in intraoperative crush and touch preparations from a 33-year-old female are reported. Touch cytology revealed round or stellate cells distributed in a mucoid background without a typical epithelial cordlike arrangement. The cells had variably vacuolated cytoplasm and round or oval nuclei and showed slight cellular pleomorphism. May-Giemsa staining was superior to Papanicolaou staining in demonstrating the mucoid matrix and vacuolated cytoplasm of the tumor cells. Additionally, crush preparations were effective in demonstrating well-differentiated chondroid elements. Immunocytochemistry with positivity for S-100 protein and cytokeratins was an essential adjunct in the cytologic diagnosis of chordoma and helped in distinguishing it from other chondrogenic tumors. CONCLUSION: It is possible and advantageous to diagnose chondroid chordoma with a combination of cytologic and immunocytochemical studies of intraoperative crush and touch preparations in conjunction with clinical and radiographic information.