Giant Chordoma of the Thoracolumbar Spine

Chordomas are rare tumors from primitive notochord. They are usually located at sacrococcygeal region when it affects the spine. We present a case of giant chordoma in the thoracolumbar spine in Peru. A 43-year-old woman came to the hospital in Huanuco due to back pain and sensorymotor alterations in the lower limbs. Imaging confirmed an unresectable tumor involving the spine. Two years later, she came back with paraplegia, weight loss, severe anemia and complicated urinary tract infection. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a mass measuring 15×15×14 cm in T11, T12 and L1 which histopathology was consistent with chordoma. Chordoma is a rare tumor which should be included in the differential diagnosis of spinal tumors. An earlier diagnosis leads to more options of treatments and longer survival.