Abstract
Abstract Context.—Chordoma is a rare, notochordal tumor with a characteristic histomorphology and immunohistochemical profile. At times, it presents a diagnostic challenge, especially in small biopsies. Brachyury, a nuclear transcription factor, is a recently described immunohistochemical marker for diagnosing chordomas. Objective.—To study the sensitivity and specificity of brachyury in diagnosing chordomas by comparing its expression in axial chordomas with nonchordomatous tumors. Design.—Fifty-one axial chordomas, accessioned during a 10-year period, and 58 nonchordomatous tumors were subjected to brachyury staining by immunohistochemistry. Results.—The 51 chordomas occurred in 36 men and 15 women. Sitewise, 34 cases (66.7%) occurred in the sacrococcyx, 9 (17.6%) in the spine, and 8 (15.7%) in the skull base. Histologically, 34 cases (66.7%) were classical chordomas, 13 cases (25.5%) had a dominant chondroid component, and 2 cases each (3.9%) were chondroid chordomas and dedifferentiated chordomas, res...
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