Ecchordosis physaliphora

Bone
Other tumors of bone
Ecchordosis physaliphora

Author: Nat Pernick, M.D. (see Authors page)

Revised: 20 October 2016, last major update June 2005

Copyright: (c) 2003-2016, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed search: ecchordosis physaliphora

Table of Contents

Definition / general | Case reports | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Additional references

Cite this page: Ecchordosis physaliphora. PathologyOutlines.com website. http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/boneecchordosis.html. Accessed July 14th, 2017.

Definition / general

Ectopic notochordal rests present in 2% of adult autopsies at clivus (base of skull) or anterior pons
Notocord represents a primitive spine which normally induces development of future vertebrae and eventually forms nucleus pulposus of intervertebral disc

Case reports

14 year old boy with symptomatic vertebral body lesion diagnosed as giant notocordal rest (Am J Surg Pathol 2003;27:396)

Gross description

Discrete gelatinous nodule

Microscopic (histologic) description

Cells are uniform without lobularity or variability
No pleomorphism or necrosis or mucinous pools containing syncytial cell cords, no / rare mitotic activity
Not infiltrative or destructive

Additional references

Am J Surg Pathol 2003;27:396